Rumours circulated that former president Donald Trump might announce a third run for president at a rally in Ohio Monday evening, the night before the 2022 midterms.
One Republican source told The New York Post that Mr Trump has been “telling people he might tonight, but it’s not a done thing.”
Maggie Haberman at The New York Times reported a similar rumour, saying that he was considering announcing his run on Monday evening. But some Republicans fear that Mr Trump would be blamed for some Republican losses if he were to make the election about himself.
Most Republicans hope to keep the focus on President Joe Biden and criticising him for inflation and the economy.
Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, Mr Trump’s most dogged defender in Congress throughout his administration and afterward, tweeted that he should announce Monday evening as well.
“His candidates won the primaries,” Mr Gaetz tweeted, adding that Mr Biden zeroed in on the threat of “Ultra MAGA” Republicans to American democracy.
“Trump deserves all the credit for this wave election & announcing tonight he will seize it,” Mr Gaetz tweeted.
The rumours have swirled ahead of the former president’s planned rally in Vandalia, Ohio, which is just outside of Dayton. Mr Trump will campaign for JD Vance, the Republican nominee for Ohio’s open Senate seat.
Mr Trump endorsed Mr Vance before the state held its primary, which immediately pushed him to the Republican nomination.
The former president has begun to tease a potential 2024 run in earnest. On Saturday evening during his rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, for gubernatorial candidate Doug Matriano and Senate nominee Mehmet Oz, he talked about a poll showing him in the lead of a potential Republican primary.
He also dubbed his nearest competitor, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, “Ron DeSanctimonious.”
During his rally in Miami on Sunday evening, he again teased a run for president.
“Stay tuned to tomorrow night in the great state of Ohio,” he said. Mr Trump won Ohio in 2016 and 2020 by the same margin.
