Joe Prince, COMPLEX
Despite his initial lead over Joe Biden, as of Thursday morning it’s looking as though Donald Trump isn’t on track to win the 2020 election.
Unfortunately for Americans and the rest of the planet, Trump has reportedly indicated to his advisers that this isn’t the last we’ll be seeing him. The New York Times writes that Trump has hinted on numerous occassions, sometimes jokingly and sometimes seriously, that he will run in 2024 if he loses this election.
For the past few months, as four more years seemed increasingly less likely for Trump, he allegedly told advisers he would announce a 2024 run immediately after losing to Biden. Two advisers have suggested Trump will go through with that if he can’t legally challenge the election results, which is something he’s indicated he will do. It’s unsurprising, then, that Trump would want to cling onto the spotlight as long as possible, especially considering his history as an egomaniacal media personality.
Those who have worked with Trump directly and indirectly have also suggested that even if he loses, which seems more likely as votes continue to be counted, he’s not going anywhere. “It isn’t like his Twitter account or his ability to control a news cycle will stop,” said Brad Parscale, who worked as a manager on Trump’s first campaign this election cycle. “President Trump also has the largest amount of data ever collected by a politician. This will impact races and policies for years to come.”
Despite the efforts of “Never Trumpers” such as the Lincoln Project, 93 percent of Republican voters still voted for Trump this election. “If he is defeated, the president will retain the undying loyalty of the party’s voters and the new voters he brought into the party,” added Trump 2016 strategist Sam Nunberg. “President Trump will remain a hero within the Republican electorate. The winner of the 2024 Republican presidential primary will either be President Trump or the candidate who most closely resembles him.”
If Trump does decide to run in 2024 in the event of a loss this election, he will be running at age 78. While it’s difficult to say what his odds would be at this point, there’s only ever been one president in U.S. history (Grover Cleveland) to serve two non-consecutive terms in office.
