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Former U.S. President Donald Trump will stand for election as President in 2024, CNN reported on Nov. 16 (Singapore time).
The paperwork required for the filing of his candidacy was submitted to the Federal Election Committee, ahead of a planned media appearance, likely to announce his run.
Swept away
Trump has summoned press to his Florida mansion for the announcement, according to AFP.
Trump advisor Jason Miller said then that it would be the announcement of his 2024 campaign to retake the United States' presidency, after losing in 2020 to Joe Biden.
Trump had initially indicated that he would make this announcement last week on Nov. 7, the day before the U.S. midterm elections.
Early predictions had aligned with history, and indicated that the incumbent Democratic party, which held narrow majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, would be swept away in what was dubbed a "Red Tsunami".
Usually, the party of the incumbent President does poorly during midterm elections, and this was coupled with high inflation and a shaky economy.
The Democrats were expected lose big in the House of Representatives, where every seat was up for re-election; and lose control of the Senate.
While counting of the votes goes on for some seats in the House of Representatives, it has been confirmed that the Democrats will retain their slim control of the Senate.
It is also clear that even if the Republicans manage to take the House, it will be by the slimmest of majorities.
Biden has spent much of the week following the midterm results celebrating what he has called "a good day for democracy", according to Reuters.
Circular firing squad
Trump's announcement now comes amidst major recrimination about his choice of candidates during the midterms, with Politco saying major Republican leaders are blaming Trump for turning an easy win into a hard fought loss.
Trump backed candidates such as Georgia's Herschel Walker, and Nevada's Adam Laxalt, who espoused the same kind of rhetoric as Trump, especially that of casting doubt on the legitimacy of his 2020 loss.
Laxalt lost his bid to become Arizona governor, while Walker received fewer votes than the incumbent Georgia senator Raphael Warnock, and is headed to a runoff election.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who handily beat his opponent Charlie Crist to retain his governorship, is now seen as Trump's main competitor for the 2024 nomination.
Trump's announcement does not mean he will automatically become the Republican candidate for president in 2024, as he may be challenged in the primary by others.
Trump has now turned his ire to targets within the Republican party, sparking fears of an impending internal civil war.
Instead of congratulating DeSantis, Trump has used his social media platforms to label him "DeSanctimonious", continuing his tradition of giving odd but insulting nicknames to political foes.
Moving on
Biden, on the other hand, has taken a victory lap on the results, saying that U.S. voters have chosen to defend democracy.
Many candidates who cast doubt on the legitimacy of his election win in 2020, without evidence, lost their own elections in 2022.
Biden is currently on a trip to Southeast Asia, making an appearance at the Asean leader's summit, where he met with, amongst others, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
He will also be attending the G20 summit in Bali, where he met China's president Xi Jinping.
However, he will not be attending the APEC summit in Bangkok.
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Top image from Getty Images.