More than half of the participants in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), held the day before, are ready to support Donald Trump if he participates in the GOP primaries in the presidential election in 2024.
According to the results of a sample survey conducted within the framework of the conference, 55% of respondents intend to vote for the ex-president in future primaries.
Scene of the US Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)
Reuters
© Joe Skipper
At the same time, 21% of the survey participants would like to support the incumbent Governor of Florida Ron Desantis in the primaries, another 4% are ready to vote for the Governor of South Dakota, Christy Noem.
When asked whether they want Donald Trump to run for the presidency in 2024, 68% of respondents gave an affirmative answer, 15% - no.
Another 17% of conservatives were undecided about their choice.
In addition, it turned out that 95% of respondents want the Republican Party to continue the program and policies of the 45th president.
Watch @JMcLaughlinSTK announce the results of the # CPAC2021 Straw Poll.
# AmericaUnCanceledpic.twitter.com / 8TuN2bjXjm
- CPAC 2021 (@CPAC) February 28, 2021
According to experts, the results of this poll correlate with the mood in the Republican Party.
“Such sentiments have been repeatedly confirmed earlier.
For example, the Republican vote during the impeachment procedure was indicative, when the majority did not support the charges against Trump, ”Yuri Rogulyov, director of the Franklin Roosevelt US Research Foundation at Moscow State University, recalled in a commentary to RT.
According to the expert, Trump's rating among Republicans did not decrease even after his defeat in the presidential election.
“Trump was able to convince most of the Republicans that he won the election, but because of fraud, falsifications with votes in the mail, Biden took over the White House,” Rogulyov explained.
A similar point of view is shared by Vladimir Vasiliev, Chief Researcher at the Institute for the USA and Canada Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
As the expert noted, at the Conference of conservative circles in the United States, it was mainly the top of the Republican Party with whom Trump had not always developed easy relations with them.
“The poll showed that the leadership of the Republican Party is now focused on Trump, their sympathies leaned in his direction.
The top of the party began to understand that Trump is an asset of the organization, not a liability, "the expert explained in an interview with RT.
"Heard what they wanted to hear"
Donald Trump himself made a speech at the conference.
The politician and businessman once again stated that he allegedly won the presidential elections in November 2020.
“As you know, they lost the White House,” Trump said of the Democrats.
He also did not rule out his participation in the next presidential campaign.
“Who knows, maybe I will decide to defeat them for the third time,” he added.
Trump urged his associates to "never forget" about the "great victories" that the Republicans had.
Reuters
© Allison Shelley
“With your help, we will reclaim the House of Representatives, win the Senate, and then the triumphant return of the Republican President to the White House.
I wonder who it will be? ”The ex-president asked from the stage.
In addition, Trump denied rumors that he was creating a new party.
“I am not creating a new party - it was fake news, all fake.
And how great it would be: "Let's create a new party and split our votes so that we won't see victory again."
No, we don't want that, ”Trump stressed.
We will remind, earlier, The Wall Street Journal, citing its sources, reported that Trump allegedly considered the possibility of creating a new political party.
According to media reports, the ex-president planned to call it the "Party of Patriots."
As noted by Yuri Rogulev, the denial of this information, made the day before by Trump, plays an important role for his relations with the Republican Party.
“It was important for the Republicans to make sure Trump stays with them.
And when he denied the rumors about the creation of a new party, the Republicans heard what they wanted to hear, ”the expert said.
Key choices
Recall that Donald Trump ran for a second presidential term, but lost the election to Democratic rival Joe Biden.
Voting took place on November 3, 2020.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a record number of voters have expressed their will ahead of schedule by mail.
Therefore, the vote count dragged on for several days.
Although the electoral college ultimately voted for Joe Biden, Trump refused to acknowledge the election results and announced a large number of rigging and rigging.
The politician's lawyers even tried to challenge the election results in a number of states in court, but the courts rejected these claims.
Against the backdrop of these failures, Trump made it clear that he does not intend to leave the US political scene and is focused on continuing the struggle.
US Presidential Election
Reuters
© Bing Guan
In early December 2020, he announced his possible nomination for the presidential elections in 2024.
Trump announced this during a Christmas reception for members of the Republican National Committee.
“It's been an amazing four years.
And we're trying to turn them into eight.
Otherwise, I'll see you in four years, "Trump said at the time.
Earlier, the former and.
about.
White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.
He did not rule out that Trump will nominate himself in 2024, and noted that the businessman will definitely remain in politics.
At the same time, the National Committee of the US Republican Party does not intend to somehow single out the ex-president during the preparation for the presidential campaign in 2024, if he decides to stand as a candidate.
This was announced in January 2021 by the head of the committee, Ronna McDaniel.
“The party must remain neutral.
I will not tell who will run in 2024 and who will not, ”McDaniel said when asked by the Associated Press if she wants Trump to run in the next election.
As Yuri Rogulev explained, in reality, the prospects for Donald Trump's nomination in the elections in 2024 depend not on the National Committee of the Republican Party, but on the outcome of the midterm congressional elections, which will be held in 2022.
“The National Committee is a group of party officials, a coordinating body that depends on state committees and has no real resources to influence Trump's nomination.
A much more important role will be played by politicians elected by party lists to Congress, ”the expert added.
Reuters
© Jason Reed
Note that the Wall Street Journal reported with reference to Trump's aides that he is likely to make the final decision on his candidacy for president after the midterm congressional elections.
Note that Trump retained the opportunity to run again for the highest state post due to the failure of the impeachment procedure in the Senate.
The upper house of Congress rejected the guilty verdict in mid-February as part of the Trump impeachment trial.
Recall that the impeachment procedure was initiated against Trump by the Democrats in connection with the events of January 6, 2021.
On this day, the Congress was supposed to finally approve the results of the presidential elections.
Donald Trump has summoned his supporters to a rally to demand a review of the official voting results.
The peaceful event turned into riots, part of the protesters broke into the Capitol building.
As a result of clashes between supporters of the 45th president and law enforcement officials, five people were killed.
The foundation of Trumpism
Experts are in no hurry to predict whether Donald Trump will try to return to the White House.
“Right now, it is important for the Republican Party not to split, but also to prepare for the 2022 midterm elections.
In preparation for this election, Republicans are counting on the support of Trump, who has become a popular figure.
But if they lose this election, then Trump will have no reason to be nominated in 2024, ”Yuri Rogulyov believes.
At the same time, the Republican Party does not yet have alternative candidates to Trump to participate in the future presidential race.
This opinion is shared by Vladimir Vasiliev.
“Republican politicized youth imitate Trump, and politicians like Marco Rubio are no longer an authority for them.
Even if the party finds another strong candidate, he will still be like Trump and will pursue a similar course, ”Vladimir Vasiliev is sure.
In his opinion, the Republican Party needs Trump to fight against Joe Biden and the Democrats.
“It is also important to note that earlier Trump set the task of reformatting the Republican Party.
And in the future, he may try to replace the old-format Republicans with Trumpists.
Now he is competently laying the foundation for this, ”the expert summed up.