Trump Teases 2024 Run as He Hits Biden's Early Moves - WSJ

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T

ORLANDO, Fla.—Donald Trump took aim at President Biden's early moves on immigration and Covid-19, left open the prospect of another run at the presidency and cast himself as the GOP standard-bearer in the former president's first major public remarks since leaving office.

"We went through a journey like nobody else, there's never been a journey like it, there's never been a journey so successful, we began it together four years ago and it is far from being over," Mr. Trump said Sunday afternoon at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. "Let there be no doubt, we will be victorious."

Mr. Trump's remarks here came six weeks after his impeachment in the House on one charge of inciting the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, and his subsequent acquittal by the Senate. The GOP in Washington has been split between detractors of the former president who condemned his remarks at the protest earlier that day, and those who support him and a continuing role for him in the party.

Mr. Trump teased that he may run again in 2024 during his speech, repeating his unfounded claim that he won the November election. "I may even decide to beat them for a third time," he said. The party is without control of the White House, Senate and House for the first time since 2010.

Mr. Trump said he had decided not to start a new political party because "we have the Republican Party."

Aides said Mr. Trump may not reach a final decision on running in 2024 until after the 2022 midterm elections, in which Mr. Trump intends to play a key role handpicking candidates and punishing those who voted to impeach him. On Friday, Mr. Trump endorsed a challenger to Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, one of 10 House Republicans who sided with Democrats.

As had been done by CPAC speakers throughout the conference, Mr. Trump used a lengthy part of his roughly 90-minute speech to  revisit the 2020 election  and denounce Republicans who were critical of his unfounded claims that he won.

Mr. Trump also mentioned by name House Republicans who voted to impeach him and Senate Republicans  who voted to convict him , including Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine and Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming.

“Get rid of them all,” Mr. Trump said. “The RINOs that we’re surrounded with will destroy the Republican Party,” he said, referencing the term for “Republicans in Name Only.”

He also criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), whom he claimed would have lost his Senate re-election in 2020 without Mr. Trump’s endorsement. Public opinion polls showed Mr. McConnell never trailed in the race.

The crowd briefly booed Mr. McConnell, who voted to acquit Mr. Trump in the impeachment trial but  denounced Mr. Trump’s rhetoric  ahead of the riot. The two men have been  verbally sparring since .

Mr. Trump slammed Mr. Biden over the Democrat’s steps to  roll back his predecessor’s hard-line immigration policies , as well as the administration’s  approach to school reopenings .

He singled out Mr. Biden’s  proposals in a broad immigration bill , such as creating an eight-year path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants living in the country without a permanent legal status. Mr. Trump likened that to amnesty and called for Republicans to oppose it.

Mr. Trump also blamed the Biden administration for not more forcefully advocating for reopening schools, accusing Mr. Biden of being beholden to teachers’ unions. “There’s no reason whatsoever why the vast majority of young Americans should not be back in school immediately,” Mr. Trump said. “The only reason that most parents do not have that choice is because Joe Biden sold out America’s children to the teachers’ unions.”

Aides to the president have said Mr. Biden wants schools to be open when it is safe.

“While the GOP casts about for a path forward, President Biden is going to remain laser-focused on crushing the virus, re-opening schools, and getting Americans back to work,” said Michael Gwin, White House spokesman, in a statement.

The overall theme of CPAC this year was “America Uncanceled,” and Mr. Trump criticized what he views as the left’s pernicious obsession with identity politics. His speech was interrupted with a chant of “We love you,” from the party faithful gathered for the annual conference.

The former president called for breaking up big technology companies, which he called monopolies, in order to uplift conservative voices online. Twitter Inc.  banned Mr. Trump after the deadly Jan. 6 riot , before which he  encouraged his supporters to “fight”  as lawmakers in Congress were certifying Mr. Biden’s election win.

Mr. Trump’s postelection claims  were viewed by many Republicans as damaging to the party, which lost two Senate elections in Georgia in January that  tipped control of the chamber to Democrats .

Mr. Trump on Sunday repeated those claims, saying the election was rigged and calling for “one Election Day” rather than expanded voting by mail, as occurred in many states during the pandemic. Cheers of “we won” broke out among his supporters.

Federal, state and local officials have repeatedly said they saw no evidence of widespread election fraud. Federal courts up to the Supreme Court ruled  repeatedly against Trump-supported cases  aimed at changing the result, which Congress has certified.

Ahead of his speech, people close to the former president said he remains angry about the result, but they were hopeful he would focus more on encouraging states to change election law. Already, a number of Republican-led states have begun to  reverse changes made during the pandemic  to facilitate more voting by mail, moves that some Democrats have criticized as an effort to suppress votes.
To further his political goals, Mr. Trump is forming a new super PAC. He already has a  Save America political-action committee , which had raised more than $31 million by the end of 2020 as he challenged the election results. But that leadership committee caps individual donations at $5,000 a year. Super PACs, also known as independent expenditure-only political committees, can accept unlimited funds, including from corporations.

Advisers say a primary way for Mr. Trump to retain power is to play a winning role in the 2022 midterms.

The GOP would be foolish to fan a civil war within the party over Mr. Trump, said Sen. Rick Scott (R., Fla.), who is head of the Senate Republicans’ campaign committee tasked with helping re-elect the party’s incumbents.

“We will not win the future by trying to go back to where the Republican Party used to be,” Mr. Scott said at the conference. “If we do, we will lose the working base that President Trump so animated. We’re going to lose elections across the country, and ultimately, we’re going to lose our nation.”

Mr. Trump, 74 years old, has been golfing most days and settling into post-presidency life at Mar-a-Lago, his club in Palm Beach, Fla., relishing club members’ dinnertime standing ovations, according to a person who has visited with him. One friend said he has lost weight and appeared rested. He has said that he feels healthy enough for another campaign, should he choose to embark on one.

Other potential GOP 2024 presidential hopefuls are seeking to appeal to his supporters and endorsing a continued role for him in the party.

“There are a whole lot of those voices in Washington that want to just erase the last four years,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) said at the conference. “Let me tell you this right now, Donald J. Trump ain’t going anywhere.”