Republicans and Democrats offered sharply different responses on Tuesday to former President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would mount a third campaign for the White House in 2024.
Some Republicans praised Trump for delivering a succinctly on-message announcement speech focusing on the economy and ethics reform.
“If President Trump continues this tone and delivers this message on a consistent basis, he will be hard to beat,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. “His speech tonight, contrasting his policies and results against the Biden Administration, charts a winning path for him in the primaries and general election.”
Other Republicans echoed the sentiment, praising Trump’s remarks for being serious yet forward-looking.
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“Trump got his mojo back tonight,” said former Republican Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. “He focused on the American people and the future, not the past. If he stays on this path, he’s unbeatable.”
Some Republicans even decided to throw their support behind the former president’s 2024 bid.
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“I’m on his side 100 percent,” said Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas. “President Trump has my complete and total endorsement.”
Even a potential rival for the 2024 nomination had something nice to say. “Former President Trump guided our country through an incredibly prosperous four years,” said Texas Sen Ted Cruz. “The two years since then have been an unmitigated disaster.”
Democrats, meanwhile, criticized Trump, while urging American voters to move past the ex-commander-in-chief. President Biden’s political team even unveiled a video titled “Donald Trump failed America” highlighting what they say is the lackluster legacy of Trump’s four years in office.
Other high-profile Democrats struck a similar chord.
“Donald Trump failed Americans in so many ways as president,” said Obama-era Housing Secretary Julian Castro. “He is not fit to hold public office, and if he runs in 2024, he will be defeated again.”
Rep. Adam Schiff, who helped manage Trump’s first impeachment said the former president’s announcement was nothing but a rehash of the “same old lies.”
“Lies about his record. Lies about immigrants. Lies about Biden,” said Schiff, D-Calif. “Lies about our children. Lies about our LGBTQ+ neighbors. Lies on top of lies on top of lies. New grift. Same old grifter.”
Apart from critiquing Trump, some Democrats expressed outrage that he was announcing his White House run just months after having his home raided by the FBI.
“It is an epic failure of our criminal legal system that Trump, having committed so many crimes in plain sight for years, was able to freely stand on that stage and announce his third run for President,” said Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y.
