Trump May Have Lost the Presidency, but He’s Not Going Anywhere
After the Electoral College’s certification of election results, Donald Trump plans his next move. Source.
On December 14, the Electoral College cast their votes and officially declared Joe Biden as the president-elect after Donald Trump insisted for two months that the election was a sham. Nevertheless, Trump continues to deem the election as fraudulent, but some powerful Republicans are distancing themselves from his claims - including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Now that Joe Biden’s victory is official, the question looming over the nation is: what will Trump do? There is no doubt the Republican Party has become the “Party of Trump” and it is highly unlikely that Trump will just disappear after inauguration day. In fact, it is likely Trump will still have an effect on the party after his departure, considering his strong base of supporters. Many Republicans cozied up to Trump in order to ensure their survival, scared they would be deemed a traitor if they failed to fall in line. However, now that Joe Biden has been elected President, the Republican Party will need to decide if it will continue as the Party of Trump or if it will begin to evolve.
There are a few Congressional Republicans who are remaining by Trump’s side. Whether they are simply playing along or firmly believe the election was a sham, nobody knows. One reason some may be playing along is because of the Senate runoff races in Georgia that may require Trump’s support to maintain control of the Senate. However, some Trump supporters are urging people to not vote in Georgia and are boycotting elections. This alone suggests Trump’s only concern is himself and not the Republican Party especially if he is willing to convince people to not vote Republican.
In the wake of the certification of the election results, the major talking point is whether Trump will run again in 2024. As of now, he has yet to officially announce his candidacy, but doing so would mean he has accepted the election results. Although he has not officially stated whether or not he will run in 2024, he has certainly hinted at the possibility with some of his closest allies claiming the midterm elections in two years will be the deciding factor. He has already received support from some Republicans with some wanting him to announce his candidacy on inauguration day in order to distract from Joe Biden. Some Republicans are not so keen on seeing Trump run for president again, believing it could prevent other candidates from running and prevent the Republican Party from evolving. Trump running in 2024 could also complicate things for Republicans; right now the party is split with some Republicans fully supporting Trump while more moderate Republicans are unwilling to support him. Although there is division within the party, it is unlikely the party will splinter due to their shared desire to stop the left.
One thing most can agree on is that Trump craves attention and he will do whatever he can to get it. This may be the reason he is contemplating running in 2024, to stay relevant, but whatever his reason is, it will surely be to his benefit. Trump’s business has taken a hit since the pandemic started and all of this attention could be the key to helping him rebuild. Another possibility is that Trump may need to maintain his base in order to discredit legal investigations that will surely ensue once he leaves the White House.
Trump’s best chance at ensuring his relevance is through his political action committee (PAC) Save America. He formed this PAC after Biden’s victory and has already raised millions of dollars. Trump can maintain influence in Washington and throw his support behind any candidate who has been loyal to him and thus allow him to play an integral part in politics. Furthermore, he will undoubtedly use this PAC as a way to promote election reform and insist that the 2020 election was a sham which will be essential for him to sustain his base.
Although Trump has certainly transformed the Republican Party, it is unlikely that the party will follow him. In fact, it will be in the party’s best interest to abandon Trumpism so that they can be successful in future elections. Nevertheless, Trump will remain active and we will continue to see him, maybe more than any other former president due to Republican skepticism of the establishment.