Trump considering starting new ‘Patriot Party’ for 2024 Presidential run
Pollemix News – January 23, 2021
Only days after leaving office former President Donald Trump is already pondering another run in 2024, undoubtedly causing shudders amongst the GOP elite who have sought to distance themselves from the Trump Presidency in the aftermath of the Capitol Hill riot.
Despite his defeat Trump is beloved by the GOP base with 79% of Republican voters having a favorable opinion of the former President, thus the Mitch McConnell led effort to expunge Trump from the party is destined to fail. GOP leadership have made it abundantly clear that they will attempt to prevent Trump from running on the Republican Presidential ticket in 2024 and McConnell recently blamed Trump for the January 06 Capitol riot saying the President ‘provoked’ the incident.
Perhaps in retaliation for the Republican Party turning on him, in recent weeks there have been reports that Trump is looking to establish his own third party in order to run for the Presidency again in 2024. Talks between Trump and his aides about setting up a new conservative alternative to the GOP began even before his Presidency had concluded and Trump is said to be pushing ahead with his plans to create his own ‘Patriot Party’. Even as he left Washington DC for the last time as President, Trump hinted at his plans saying cryptically “…we will be back in some form”, perhaps eluding to the creation of his new political party.
Although third parties have typically struggled to impact US elections in recent years, Trump’s huge popularity amongst conservatives would almost certainly guarantee an immediate base of support for the newly formed entity. The prospect of a rival conservative party will likely cause shockwaves amongst the Republican Party who will chafe at the thought of their voter base being split. Although the GOP elites are largely contemptuous of the Trump wing of the party they are painfully aware that they need their support in order to win national elections, thus a breakaway of these voters to Trump’s Patriot Party could be the death knell of the Republican Party.
Some conservatives have sought to pour cold water on the speculation that Trump is seriously looking at establishing his own party but sources close to the former President say that he is moving ahead, motivated by his desire to regain the Presidency and his seething anger against those in the party who he felt turned their backs on him as he sought to overturn the election. Behind closed doors Trump is said to be compiling an ‘enemies list’ of Republicans that his new party will challenge in the primaries. The list is reputed to including Liz Cheney and Tom Rice who voted to impeach Trump for a second time, as well as Georgia Governor Brian Kemp who repeatedly rebuffed President Trump’s attempts to challenge his loss in the state.
Trump has also told confidantes that by threatening to establish a rival party, he will have leverage over Republican Senators which will allow him to prevent them from voting to convict him in his upcoming impeachment trial. Crucially if Trump is impeached then he will become ineligible to hold public office so there is also the possibility that if the GOP is convinced that Trump intends to follow through with establishing his own party, McConnell may ‘whip’ the votes needed to secure a conviction thus preventing Trump from headlining his own Patriot Party’s Presidential ticket.
Although, there is yet to be any formal confirmation there will undoubtedly be some restless night’s ahead for the Republican Party as they consider the daunting prospect of Trump’s political party splitting their base. Regardless, even if Trump abandons his plans the civil war within the GOP between the Trump wing and the ‘old guard’ looks far from being settled and the party will need to quickly find a way to mollify the GOP establishment without alienating Trump’s loyal base.
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