Trump Is Running For President Again. Heed The Lessons Of 2016
FederalistNov 16, 2022
Former Pres. Trump on Tuesday night announced his third campaign for president. His speech focused on issues like crime, drugs, and illegal immigration and avoided intraparty attacks on figures like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Trump promised to "insist" local officials accept federal aid to quell violent crime, finish the border wall, and deport "illegal immigrant criminals." He also called for congressional term limits, a lifetime ban on members of Congress becoming lobbyists, and new rules restricting congressional stock trades.
Just as he was written off by the GOP establishment in 2016, Donald Trump again faces an uphill battle against his party's elites and their preferred candidates. Though not an easy feat, Republicans cannot ignore the sway he still holds with the base and his status as the candidate for the common people.
After Trump's abysmal sway over the midterm elections — followed by his attack on the widely popular DeSantis — it's time to pass the torch to a new leader. It will be difficult to set Trump aside, but GOP voters are ready for a fresh candidate that can take the mantle in 2024.
After experiencing four years of a traumatic Trump presidency, Americans know that they deserve better. Though Republicans in 2016 were able to get behind Trump's faux-populist views on trade and immigration, the midterms showed that his candidacy in 2024 would be another referendum on Democracy itself.