Trump in 2024? He says only that a Republican will win
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former President Donald Trump planned to affirm his commitment to the Republican Party — and raise the possibility that someone else will be the GOP’s next presidential nominee — in a closed-door speech to donors Saturday night.
Trump’s message, outlined in prepared remarks obtained by Associated Press, came as GOP officials seek to downplay an intraparty feud over Trump’s continued leadership in Republican politics, his commitment to party fundraising and his plans for 2024. While Trump’s advisers report he will emphasize party unity, he is famously known to go off script.
“We are gathered tonight to talk about the future of the Republican Party — and what we must do to set our candidates on a course to victory,” Trump says in prepared remarks. “I stand before you this evening filled with confidence that in 2022, we are going to take back the House and we are going to reclaim the Senate — and then in 2024, a Republican candidate is going to win the White House.”
The former president was to deliver his remarks behind closed doors at his Florida resort, Mar-aLago, in the final address of the Republican National Committee’s weekend donor summit in Palm Beach. Most of the RNC’s invitation-only weekend gathering was set at a luxury hotel four miles away, but attendees were bused to Trump’s club for his remarks.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was expected to address donors Saturday night as well. Earlier in the weekend, a slew of candidates already positioning themselves for a 2024 presidential run made appearances. Besides DeSantis, the potential White House contenders included South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio of Florida and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina also spoke.
In his remarks Friday night, Cotton leaned into the GOP’s culture wars, attacking the Democrats’ positions on transgender youth, voter ID laws and Major League Baseball’s decision to move its All-Star Game to protest Republican voting laws — just as Trump does in his prepared remarks.
While a significant faction of the Republican Party hopes to move past Trump’s divisive leadership, the location of the weekend gathering suggests that the GOP, at least for now, is not ready to replace Trump as its undisputed leader and chief fundraiser. Trump’s team reports that his remarks were intended to reinforce his continued leadership role in Republican affairs, a sharp break from past presidents.
“Saturday’s speech will be welcomed words to the Republican donors visiting Mar-a-Lago to hear directly from President Trump,” Trump adviser Jason Miller said. “Palm Beach is the new political power center, and President Trump is the Republican Party’s best messenger.”
Trump has also regularly attacked his GOP critics in recent weeks, especially Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and No. 3 House Republican Liz Cheney. Neither attended the weekend donor summit. Trump did not attack Cheney or McConnell — or any Republicans — in Saturday’s speech, at least according to his scripted remarks.