US Media Citing Close Aides Report
Mention of Next Presidential Run Based on Strong Support Base
Also Pursuing Role as Kingmaker in 2022 Midterm Elections
Supreme Court Issues Ruling Unfavorable to Trump
[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Former U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to emphasize that he is the 2024 presidential candidate in a public speech scheduled for the 28th. This is interpreted as a sign that he does not intend to relinquish his influence over the Republican Party based on his supporter base.
American media outlets such as Axios reported on the 22nd (local time) that former President Trump is expected to state at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on the 28th that he is "the de facto Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election."
Through his first public event since leaving office, former President Trump appears to be maintaining his political influence and his sway over his supporters and the Republican Party.
Axios said the speech on the 28th is designed to show that former President Trump controls the party regardless of whether he runs in the 2024 presidential election.
One of Trump's aides described the former president's speech as a 'show of force,' saying the message will be "I no longer have Twitter or the presidency, but I am still in charge."
Former President Trump also plans to take actions to influence the 2022 midterm elections ahead of the presidential race. His aides are reportedly gathering soon at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to devise strategies to make Trump a 'kingmaker.'
Trump's moves are based on the belief that his supporters remain steadfast.
According to a recent poll released by USA Today and Suffolk University, 46% of Republicans said they would support Trump if he formed a new party. Only 27% said they would remain with the Republican Party.
Former President Trump received 75 million votes in the last presidential election, the highest number ever for a Republican candidate.
Republican lawmakers who supported Trump's impeachment have faced backlash, including votes of no confidence in their districts.
Unlike his solid support base, the legal challenges against former President Trump are intensifying. The U.S. Supreme Court on the same day issued an order rejecting Trump's request to stay a lower court ruling that required him to hand over tax documents following a grand jury subpoena issued by the New York State prosecutor.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office in New York, which has been investigating allegations of hush money related to Trump's sexual misconduct scandal, demanded in 2019 that Mazars USA, Trump's accounting firm, submit eight years of tax records for both Trump personally and the Trump Organization. Trump has opposed this demand. The New York prosecutor is also investigating whether Trump engaged in financial fraud.
CNN reported that the Supreme Court's order means the prosecution's investigation and grand jury proceedings will no longer be hindered, calling it a "bitter defeat" for Trump.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
