ANDERS HAGSTROM
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
President Donald Trump reportedly told some advisers that if the election is certified for Biden then he will announce a 2024 campaign run, the New York Times reported Thursday.
Trump and his campaign are waging a legal battle to push Biden off the precipice of victory even as the Associated Press, Fox News and numerous other outlets have already declared him the winner. Advisers say Trump has no “obsessive desire” to remain in the White House, according to NYT, and he is already taking action to maintain his current sway within the GOP in the likely event he loses it.
“He knows it’s over,” one unnamed adviser reportedly told NYT. (RELATED: Here’s How Mail-In Ballots Are Counted And Verified To Prevent Fraud)
Via @maggieNYT >
“The president has told some advisers that if the race is certified for Mr. Biden, he will announce a 2024 campaign shortly afterward”https://t.co/vecxQpRqQf vi
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) November 13, 2020
Trump would be 78 years old in 2024, roughly the same age as Biden is now.
The report comes alongside a private phone call between White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and other Trump aides reportedly discussing what the administration might be able to accomplish in its lame duck period ahead of Biden’s inauguration. The conversation itself gives lie to the campaign’s chances in ongoing litigation in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Trump’s legal challenges have not fared well in court so far, with lawsuits in Georgia and Nevada being thrown out almost immediately. The campaign has yet to produce substantial evidence of voter fraud.
Both Republicans and Democrats are beginning to ask what Trump’s role will be in the GOP in the event of his loss. There have been unconfirmed rumors that Trump plans to start a TV news channel to compete with Fox News for conservative viewership, as reported by CNN. There are also reports he plans to open a fundraising PAC.
– ANDERS HAGSTROM
