Political Capital & GOP in His ’Grip’: Trump ’Wants Back’ in 2024, Journos Say

When the former US president left the Oval Office, he kept the intrigue going: "We're not going anywhere." Donald Trump has since continued to drop hints about his future career, without making any specific statements, but only signaling that he is determined to stay at the center of the political arena.

Journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa claimed on Tuesday that former President Trump is going to return to politics, as sources close to the former president suggested “he wants back” and “feels he has the political capital with his core supporters.”

Speaking to MSNBC's “Morning Joe,“ the journalists assumed that Trump’s major role in the Republican Party would make it very difficult for other GOP candidates to break through and they would have “to war with him at the highest rank of the party.”

“This is someone who wants back into the presidency, and he believes the Republican Party is still very much in his grip,” Costa said.

"And this time, even though there are others out there with ambition like Vice President Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, it's President Trump who really wants back, based on our own reporting," Costa noted.

Woodward, who has written several books devoted to the former Republican president, agreed with Costa, saying “there's this view of Trump as somebody who's this force in the Republican Party.”

“What's going to happen to the Democratic Party? Who's going to be president? And will Trump resurface?” he questioned. “I think we've — in our reporting and talked about it, pretty clear Trump is going to run and some polls show he could beat Biden.”

While Donald Trump has remained politically active, he has so far refused to reveal his plans regarding the 2024 presidential race. But there is an important date before that that the former president has his eye on.

Elections to the House of Representatives will be held in the US on 8 November next year, and Trump has made it clear that he will spare no effort to bring Republican candidates to Congress by using his name and influence.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017, in Washington for a Thanksgiving trip to Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla.

© AP Photo / Evan Vucci

It’s nearly an article of faith that the former Republican president has the leading role in the party. The latest poll shows that Trump is currently the unquestionable favorite as 6 out of 10 Republicans (58 percent) would vote for him in the primaries. Despite this, not only have some GOP leaders expressed criticism, but many ordinary Republican voters have stressed that they would not vote for Trump (47 against 48 percent), saying he has polarized both the party and the nation.

While Trump may effortlessly win the presidential primary elections, there are serious concerns over his ability to attract neutral voters along with those who already sympathize with the Republican party.

In addition, the ex-president has become a defendant in about 30 civil and criminal cases over the past four years, according to The New York Times. The legal procedures are related to his election campaign, his business dealings and taxes.

NATIONAL POLL:

2024 Republican Primary:
Donald Trump 67%@RonDeSantisFL 10%@NikkiHaley 7%@Mike_Pence 6%@MittRomney 3%

2024 Republican Primary (without Trump):@RonDeSantisFL 32%@Mike_Pence 24%@tedcruz 13%@NikkiHaley 10%@MittRomney 6%@HawleyMO 6%https://t.co/TRECoOvjwK pic.twitter.com/2OfIbgVcRM

— Emerson College Polling (@EmersonPolling) September 2, 2021

However, numerous reports have claimed that Trump’s presidential candidacy is almost a done deal, reportedly confirmed by his closest allies and Republican circles.

In case Trump announces his presidential bid, the outcome of the 2024 election may appear even more blurry than it is now. According to a survey conducted by Boston Emerson College, the former head of the White House would narrowly win the race against Biden, with 47 percent against 46.