Former U.S. president Donald Trump announced his bid for reelection in the 2024 election on November 15 from his estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, shortly after the FBI raided the property amidst allegations that Trump had  mishandled classified documents that he took from the White House upon leaving in January. 

Along with the Mar-a-Lago raid, Trump has come under fire over the past year for his refusal to acknowledge Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election, which resulted in large swathes of Trump supporters storming the U.S. capitol building. At several points during his speech, Trump reiterated his distrust in the 2020 election results.

“Many people think that, because of this, China played a very active role in the 2020 election. Just saying. Just saying,” Trump said.

Trump also promised to instate voter I.D. and eliminate electronic ballots to combat voter fraud. Other campaign promises made by Trump include pledging to open up the death penalty to drug offenders, claiming that China doesn’t have a drug problem because they have “quick trials” for drug offenders, and adding to the wall built on the U.S.-Mexico border.

In addition to making campaign promises, Trump also used his speech to criticize the Biden administration and Democrats in general, claiming that Democrat control in the House and Senate for the past 2 years has led to “total suffering” that voters have not yet realized.

“I have no doubt that by 2024, it will sadly be much worse and they will see clearly what has happened and is happening to our country – and the voting will be much different” Trump said, regarding the Republican party’s disappointing performance at midterms.

Winning reelection in 2024 will likely be a very uphill battle for Trump; Florida governor Ron Desantis has garnered a large support base in the Republican party, with most polls of Republican voters naming him either the first or second (behind Trump) most likely winner of the Republican nomination. Mike Pence has also said that he is considering running for the presidency, saying that he thinks that there will be “better choices” than Trump in the 2024 primary, and that times have called for new leadership in the Republican party.

Many current RV juniors and seniors will be able to vote in the upcoming election, and many have already decided which party they will likely be voting for. 

“I don’t think he should bid for reelection, the sheer ignorance displayed by his actions against the COVID-19 pandemic speaks volumes about his worth as a leader of our country” said junior Ryan Skuya. “The riot at the Capital only further solidifies the fact that he is an ignorant child.” 

“Trump running for reelection is a bad thing for both parties. Why? Because Trump is anti-establishment,” said junior Joseph Klosinski. “Of course I’d vote for [Trump], but I’d vote for any GOP candidate for president.”

If Trump wins the Republican party nomination, he will likely be running against President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency. A victory would make him the second president to serve several non-consecutive terms, and by the fourth year of his second term he would become the oldest president in U.S. history, at just over 82 years old.