Donald Trump to return: Former President to hold rallies in weeks to drum up support
DONALD TRUMP is set to make a bold comeback to US politics by holding two rallies as he seeks to capitalise on the crises blighting Joe Biden's presidency in a bid to rile up his base and win new support.
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The 45th US president has kept a low profile since departing the White House in an unprecedented way in January. But now, four months after the deadly Capitol Hill riots, Mr Trump's aides have reportedly drawn up plans to hold campaign events in June as a platform to enable his comeback. According to the Daily Mail, the two rallies will be followed by a third in early July as the former Republican leader aims to make waves at the beginning of summer.
An adviser familiar with the planning said: “The president is anxious to get back out on the trail and we are getting a lot of offers and invitations from both candidates and political causes in different areas."
Following the harrowing scenes at Congress on January 6, many Republicans have sought to distance themselves from Mr Trump.
And 2024 Republican presidential candidates last week tiptoed around the former US leader at a private gathering in Austin, Texas.
The event was billed as a thank you for Republican donors for a state registration drive.
It offered presidential hopefuls a chance to test drive their pitch - if the former president decides not to run again.
Mr Trump, 74, was not invited, nor was he the central focus of the event.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who is exploring a bid for the Oval Office, told guests "The election is over, Biden won. We just need to beat him in 2024."
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Mr Christie initially supported Mr Trump as president but weeks after he spread false claims about voter fraud in the November election, the former governor told him it was time to concede defeat.
Mr Trump's former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, former vice president Mike Pence were among a string of 2024 hopefuls interviewed on stage by members of the Texas congressional delegation.
Mr Pence received a standing ovation when he took the stage and talked about the Trump-Pence administration's accomplishments, offering what one attendee called "a lot of platitudes."
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Meanwhile Mr Pompeo appeared to spout rhetoric reminiscent of Mr Trump's speeches by giving an extended review of global affairs, with a particular focus on China and Iran.
Last month Mr Trump spoke about his considerations to try again for a second term in the White House.
He said he is “100 percent thinking about running again” and promised: “We will be very successful.”
Since he and the former First Lady Melania Trump left Washington the pair have been living at their Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida and largely kept away from the limelight.
The former president has however been spotted at Trump Tower, his New York skyscraper on Fifth Avenue.
A poll conducted at the CPAC conservatives' convention earlier this year found that just over half (55 percent) of attendees would vote for Mr Trump in the 2024 nominating race.
The former New York real estate mogul remains incredibly popular among Republican voters right now, beating out Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush in a recent poll asking who should be the role model for the next generation of party leaders.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was carried out from May 7 -10.
A total of 1,005 American adults took part.