On Saturday, Former President Trump hosted a rally in Montgomery County, Texas, a conservative bastion which he won handsomely in 2020. Trump used the occasion, a pompous and celebratory affair, which hearkens back to the campaign-style demonstrations that once attracted tens of thousands of his most endearing supporters, to tease a potential run in 2024 and to clarify his support for the nation’s most radical conservative faction, perhaps in hopes that they reciprocate the sentiment.
The rally was just the latest stop for the Trump campaign— if we can call it that— and is already the second event of the new year. With this in mind, it’s safe to say that the ex-president, disgraced though he may be in some circles, is back on the road again ahead of the decisive 2022 midterm elections, and is garnering support and influence across the country as he seeks to maintain his position as the standard-bearer for the republican party.
Mr. Trump’s political opponents, of which there are many, were up in arms about some of the outrageous claims that he was making, including suggesting pardons for some of his supporters who stormed the capitol building last year, and denouncing the prosecutions that followed the event.
Those on the left side of the aisle, and any who may be wary of the prospect of yet another Trump administration, will claim that this development is all but confirmed that Mr. Trump plans to run in 2024 and that these rallies are part and parcel of his political strategy to once again take his seat in the oval office. Trump’s remarks, which safe to say were poorly received by everyone except the incredulous faction addressed by them, will no doubt have implications for both parties ahead of the midterms, and will likely shape the strategy for republicans going forward.
These suspicions seem to be corroborated by the list of those who also spoke at the event on Saturday. This includes prominent Texas politicians such as governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton, all of whom have publicly come out in support of the conservative strongman.
Trump, though, stopped short of officially confirming a bid for the presidency, and it remains to be seen if or when he will take that step. Either way, the message is clear: Mr. Trump, it seems, is not planning to stand down as one of the nation’s most influential political figures just yet.