Trump 2022?
Don’t order the lawn signs just yet, but the concept was given a positive reception Friday by former President Donald Trump.
Trump appeared Friday on Wayne Allyn Root’s radio show. Root then pitched an idea floated earlier by Steve Bannon to have Trump lead the charge that regains the House for Republicans.
“Why not, instead of waiting for 2024, and I’m hoping you’ll run in 2024 but why not run in 2022 for the United States Congress? A House seat in Florida. Win big. Lead us to a dramatic landslide victory. Take the House by 50 seats,” Root said, according to Newsweek.
“And then you become the Speaker of the House, lead the impeachment of Biden and start criminal investigations against Biden. You’ll wipe him out for this last two years,” Root said.
“That’s so — that’s so interesting,” Trump said.
“Do it! You’ll be a folk hero!” Root responded.
“Yeah, you know it’s very interesting,” Trump said, noting that others have pitched to him the idea of running for the Senate.
“But you know what, your idea might be better. It’s very interesting,” Trump said.
In February, Bannon offered similar thoughts.
“He’ll come back to us. We’ll have a sweeping victory in 2022, and he’ll lead us in 2024,” he said then.
“We totally get rid of Nancy Pelosi, and the first act of President Trump as Speaker will be to impeach Joe Biden for his illegitimate activities of stealing the presidency,” Bannon said.
Trump hinted at a 2024 run on Friday when he reacted to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s decision that Trump will be banned on Facebook until at least January 2023.
“Next time I’m in the White House there will be no more dinners, at his request, with Mark Zuckerberg and his wife. It will be all business!” Trump said, according to the Independent.
Although Trump has hinted about a 2024 run for months, some say that appears to be gaining momentum.
“I have definitely picked up a shift that there’s more of an intentionality to be leaning on the side of it’s going to happen than it’s not,” said Matt Schlapp, chair of the American Conservative Union, according to the Associated Press. “I think it’s a very real possibility.”
But a spokesman for Trump said no decision is imminent.
“There’s a continued, enduring interest and folks encouraging him to run in 2024, but he’s in no rush to make a decision. And he’ll do that at the appropriate time,” said Trump spokesman Jason Miller.