Donald Trump ‘told advisers he might run for president again in 2024’

Donald Trump could have an influence over the Republican Party for a while yet

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Donald Trump has told advisers that he is thinking about running for the US presidency again in 2024 if the election is certified for Joe Biden, US media outlets have reported.

First the news website Axios and then The New York Times reported that the US president has floated the idea of another run with advisers even as he contests this election result.

Individuals are barred from serving more than two terms as US president but the law does not stop them from serving one term, leaving office for four years, then serving another.

Mr Trump has also formed a so-called leadership political action committee, or PAC, which will allow him to continue to wield influence over the party in the coming years.

The formation was spotted when fundraising requests from the Trump campaign included a reference that some funds would go to “Save America”.

Read more: What will Donald Trump do now?

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Tim Murtaugh, a Trump campaign spokesman, told The New York Times that the committee had been in the works for some time.

“The president always planned to do this, win or lose, so he can support candidates and issues he cares about, such as combating voter fraud,” Mr Murtaugh said.

The two developments are a reminder that after Mr Trump leaves office on January 20 2021, inauguration day, he will continue to be a force in the Republican Party.

Mr Trump picked up six million more votes in the 2020 election than he did in 2016, an indication of the sway he still holds over a major chunk of Republican supporters.

If he runs for the White House again, Mr Trump will know it will be Republican voters — who overwhelmingly approve of his handling of the presidency according to polls — who will pick the party’s 2024 nominee.

Should Mr Trump decide not to run, he could effectively become kingmaker, with his nod the most sought after endorsement of the campaign.

Already it is notable how leading Republican figures who may launch a 2024 bid, such as senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham, have weighed in behind Mr Trump’s legal challenges of the election.

Political action committees have significant influence in American politics. They can raise millions of dollars and can support candidates’ election campaigns.

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