Donald Trump's Reelection Bid Is Already Losing Some Major Supporters
Donald Trump has officially announced that he's running for a second non-consecutive presidential term in 2024, per CNN. "In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," he said from the podium at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. During his speech, Trump leaned hard on his previous narrative, discussing corruption in Washington and his distaste for how the voting went in the 2020 election, where he lost to President Joe Biden.
But the controversial politician's speech also highlighted several new grievances, specifically after the GOP failed to gain a Senate majority, with many politicians backed by Trump notably losing to their Democratic opponents. Trump's announcement looked a lot different than it did in 2016 when he revealed his original presidential campaign. Cable networks aired the entirety of his (still rambling) speech, and many came under fire for letting Trump speak unfiltered for an exorbitant amount of time.
This time, however, networks were quick to cut Trump short, with many, including Fox News, swiftly moving on from his speech, according to Politico. In fact, certain networks, such as MSNBC, didn't cover the announcement at all. But his talking points and airtime weren't the only differences between Trump's original bid and his current one. Although we already know the five words that will likely define Trump's 2024 campaign, he's going to be facing it down with significantly less support than before.
Key players were missing from Trump's big announcement
Donald Trump has always loudly spoken out about not needing money from wealthy supporters, but that didn't stop them from donating to his campaign back in 2016. According to ABC, the former president's biggest supporters raised millions of dollars on his behalf. But, as Trump took the stage to announce his bid for reelection, a number of his major advocates were evidently missing in action.
According to The New York Times, the CEO and co-founder of private-equity firm Blackstone, Stephen A. Schwarzman, who was once a financial supporter and vocal ally of Trump, has publicly confirmed that he's moving on from the former president. Instead, Schwarzman will put his focus, and his money, on newer Republican candidates. And it wasn't just Trump's big-money supporters either.
Many members of Congress were also noticeably absent from his big speech. According to Business Insider, Madison Cawthorn was the only member of the GOP spotted in attendance. Trump's former VP, Mike Pence, has also been open about his recent change of heart, telling The New York Times that he feels there are better options for a Republican candidate. Trump is already changing his tactics for his 2024 run and now, with potential candidates like Ron DeSantis, must prepare to face off against his own party too.