Ahead of the 2024 US presidential election, the contours of the Republican Party’s presidential primary contest are slowly emerging.
With former President Donald Trump, who announced his intention to run early, the ‘Trump vs. anti-Trump’ structure is becoming clearer, and some people who have been weighing the run are organizing their moves.
Former President Trump recorded an approval rating of 62% in a poll for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) of the US conservative group released on the 4th, significantly outperforming potential rival Florida Governor Ron Disantis (20%).
Former President Trump also received a 59% approval rating in the same event survey last year, ahead of Governor Disantis (28%).
As the largest event in the US conservative camp, the CPAC has faded a lot compared to the past when it had an absolute impact on the presidential election, and there is a critical evaluation that the ‘pro-Trump’ tendency has become more intense, but from the perspective of former President Trump, it is still an encouraging result that can raise the initial momentum all.
Former President Trump ranked first among Republican runners in various recent surveys.
In a recent survey by conservative media Fox, former President Trump obtained an approval rating of 43%, ahead of Governor Disantis (28%) by 15 percentage points. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley came in third with 7%.
In a Quinnipiac University survey last week, former President Trump had an approval rating of 42% and Governor Disantis recorded an approval rating of 36%. Haley’s former ambassador was also third with 5%.
As former President Trump consolidates his position as a frontrunner, other runners are also in full swing against Trump.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is considering running for office, appeared on Fox News on the 5th and said, “In this presidential election, we have to elect someone who is thoughtful and who will make America the best nation.” I don’t do it, and I don’t spend all my time thinking about Twitter,” he once hit former President Trump.
Former Secretary Pompeo declined to say whether he would run, but he did not close the possibility that he would decide within a few months.
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, also considered a potential candidate, appeared on NBC’s broadcast that day and said, “Former President Trump will run for the primary, but he will not be a candidate.”
Former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a moderate conservative who has strongly criticized former President Trump, declared that he would not run for the primary, expressing concern over the possibility of a crowd of ‘anti-Trump’ candidates.
“I’ve said for a long time that I care more about the future of the Republican Party than about my future,” he wrote in a New York Times article. “This is why I decided not to run.”
“The Republican Party has potential and capable leaders, but it would be too risky to join me and help Trump win the presidential nomination again,” he said. Emphasized.
This structure is expected to become clearer after major runners officially declare their candidacy.
Governor Disantis, who is chasing former President Trump at the top of the approval rating, is discussing the possibility of announcing a run in May when the Florida congressional session ends.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who has been at odds with former President Trump since the invasion of Congress, said in a recent media interview that a final decision was imminent.
Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, voted to run for the presidency in the middle of last month, and said that politicians over the age of 75 should undergo a mental evaluation, simultaneously checking both President Joe Biden, 80, and former President Trump, 76, at the same time.
Although former President Trump ranks first in various opinion polls, it is pointed out that it is not easy to predict the results of the primary because his public support is not as absolute as before, and the theory of internal responsibility after the midterm elections is not easy.
In addition, in the ‘anti-Trump’ camp, the fight for the representative runner is expected to become more intense. The Hill, a political media outlet, said, “The fact that Republican voters did not converge on a clear alternative to former President Trump is a favorable structure for former President Trump.” will,” he predicted.