World / World Politics

Donald Trump confirms 2024 US presidential bid

15:23 pm on 16 November 2022

Former US President Donald Trump and former US First Lady Melania Trump speak to the media while departing a polling station after voting in the US mid-term elections at Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center in Palm Beach, Florida, earlier in November. Photo: AFP

Former US president Donald Trump has confirmed he will run for the 2024 US presidential election at an announcement at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Trump is hoping to box out potential Republican rivals and return his false claims of election fraud to the centre of US politics.

Trump's announcement at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida, follows a disappointing showing in last week's midterm congressional elections that many Republicans blame on him.

Trump arrived at a Mar-A-Lago resort hall packed with his supporters and decorated with MAGA signage and US flags to an introduction over a PA system as "the next president of the United States of America" alongside his wife Melania.

Announcing his candidacy for the 2024 US presidential election to rousing applause from his supporters, Trump said: "Our country is in a horrible state, we're in grave trouble".

His efforts would require not just the impact of politics but the support of a movement, he said.

"This will not be my campaign, this will be our campaign all together."

"I am running because I believe the world has not yet seen the true glory of what this nation can be.

"This is our country, our government... the corridors of power are our corridors... and we coming to take those corridors back.

"With victory we will again build the greatest economy ever, it will take place quickly... we will immediately tackle inflation."

Starting his announcement, Trump thanked his supporters and those watching for joining him at the "special occasion".

"America's comeback starts right now," he said.

Trump said the US was at its "pinnacle of power, prosperity and prestige" when he left office.

"China, Russia, Iran and North Korea were in check and they respected the United States and quite honestly they respected me," he said.

He said his administration had a strong hold on the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, border issues, energy independence and inflation.

On the midterm election results, Trump celebrated the results which saw the Republican regain a majority in the House of Representatives.

"Much of the criticism is being placed on that the Republican party should have done better and frankly much of this criticism is correct but the citizens of our country have not yet realised the full extent and gravity of the pain our nation is going through... they don't quite feel it yet but they will very soon."

Trump said the media had overblown the losses of the candidates he had endorsed in the midterm elections.

Recently, Trump warned rising Republican star and Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis against running for president in 2024, saying doing so would harm the Republican Party.