At his Mar-a-Lago Palm Beach residence, former Pres. Donald Trump announced this past November his 2024 presidential candidacy. But is it a good idea? .
The 2024 U.S. presidential election will be sensational. Candidates will push and shove their way into a frenzy of the electoral process. With Trump running again, Fla Gov. Ronald DeSantis acting presidential, Pres. Joseph Biden contemplating a re-run, the contest will be a phenomenon that is similar to a battle royal. The winner can be any contestant, but will it be Trump?
Any response to this question now would be premature and hypothetical. The truth can be found only in a retrospective look on Trump by assessing his political merit, the good and the bad of his presidency. If nature bypasses every rule of the electoral process, one can say that surprises or miracles will become the only relevant precondition of Trump winning any political contest.
Elected president in 2016, Trump, running on a platform of “making America great again,” seemed to have fulfilled some of his campaign promises. Based on the White House archives, some of his successes include an unprecedented economic boom, Jobs and investments that poured into Opportunity Zones.
It was also stated in those archives that Trump had secured historic trade deals to defend American workers, and he took strong actions to confront unfair trade practices and put America First. His administration reached a milestone by rescuing the American economy with nearly $3.4 trillion in relief, the largest financial aid package in history.
On the other hand, Trump had also had some failures. He is under investigation for fraud and corruption by the New York District State Attorney. Several women had accused him of sexual impropriety. He got impeached almost twice. After losing the presidential election to Biden, he refused to concede and fabricated instead the big lie that led to the January 6 insurrection.
In addition, Jeffrey Davidson shared some of Trump’s financial flaws. He promised to eliminate the federal debt in 8 years. Rather, the debt skyrocketed because of Trump’s 1.9 trillion tax cuts for the rich. Facing a growing federal debt, he, then, threatened Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid with budgetary cuts.
Trump’s foreign policies were wishy-washy. He removed the United States from the Paris Agreement on climate change and from the Iran nuclear deal. Also, during his presidency, the global image of the United States has steadily declined due to his tendency to insult allies and others.
Considering all the facts stated above, everyone must be wondering: is Trump electable in 2024? As people’s opinions vary on such a touchy issue, some may say yes, and others no. But if virtue is what’s required of candidates for the elected office, the choice of Trump in 2024 as president should be out of consideration because Trump is too divisive and his closet contains too many dirty linens.
So Trump’s chances to win the U.S. presidency again are slim to none. He is losing ground. As he and Gov. DeSantis were campaigning in Pennsylvania, a survey was conducted recently between them. Gov. DeSantis had a 45 percent approval to Trump 40 percent. Also, during the 2022 U.S. Mid-term elections, the majority of Republican candidates who ran for congress and governor that Trump supported had lost.
Let’s do a little reflection. In 2024 Trump will be 78 years old and Biden 82. Those two candidates will be too old for the Job. Those two candidates and Vice-Pres. Kamala Harris should be out of the 2024 presidential contest to create space for some fresh and young faces in the political arena.
For example, Gov. DeSantis is young, energetic and very presidential-like, but voters should wait for the presidential campaign to be in full swing to make the right decision. Vice-President Mike Pence, apparently honest, but not a great orator, will not be likely to be favored by the voters. In the Democratic Party, the United States needs a John F. Kennedy-like figure as a leader. Let’s not overlook former Sen. Ron Paul, a fair leader who would stand up to the elite with their evil deeds and someone who would really make America great.
As for Trump, he knows it’s a very bad idea to consider running again for president. The improbable concoction of the big lie (2020 presidential election) and the January 6 insurrection still haunt America and the World. So Trump, as a citizen, should exercise his constitutional right as a voter in an election but not as a presidential candidate.
Hubert Odias, Freelance Writer.
