Donald Trump announced his campaign for the 2024 Presidential Election on November 15th, 2022. If elected, he would become only the second person ever elected for two non-consecutive presidential terms. 

His announcement came at a speech he gave to a crowd near his house in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. Trump made many claims about the Biden administration during his speech, but held back some of his comments on the January 6th attackers, as it would likely hurt his current campaign. 

He went on to declare, “But just as I promised in 2016, I am your voice. I am your voice. The Washington establishment wants to silence us, but we will not let them do that. What we have built together over the past six years is the greatest movement in history because it is not about politics. It’s about our love for this great country, America, and we’re not going to let it fail.”

Trump’s announcement follows a disappointing midterm election for the Republicans. They failed to secure the senate and won fewer seats in the House than anticipated with their aim for a “red wave.” Trump was heavily involved in the midterm elections, putting his support behind many Republican candidates. 

Since Trump was last in office, a new Republican has risen as a strong candidate for the 2024 campaign. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has had increasing popularity in polls over Trump. However, it is still early in the campaign, and poll results are mixed. DeSantis’ increase in popularity is partially due to Trump’s reign in the Republican party slipping. Republican voters want a candidate that will win the entire election, and for an increasing number of them, that candidate is DeSantis. 

On the Democratic side, there is still uncertainty about Biden running for a second term in office. Biden has stated that he “intends” to run in the 2024 election, but he is yet to make an official announcement. Biden remains unpopular in polls; however, with Trump’s announcement, Biden has the motivation to run. Kate Bedingfield, the White House communications director, told the New York Times, “Nobody has identified more clearly the unique existential threat that Donald Trump poses to the country than Joe Biden. And nobody else has defeated him. So, you know, I think that for us, those are the two north stars.”

Looking on a more individual level, Trump’s campaign announcement has left many people dealing with resurfacing emotions they may have felt in 2020. When asked what first comes to mind when thinking about Trump running for office again, 9th grade English teacher Ms. Gihanah Seb-Didio told the Register Forum, “Fear. Immediate fear. Worry.” She went on to explain with the 2024 election ahead that, “Now, being an adult, and being in charge of 80-something kids, I fear for them, and how they feel, and their families; and just it’s a lot more bigger than me now.” 

2024, and the presidential election that looms with it, might feel far away, but it is evident from Trump’s presidential campaign announcement that the race has already started.