Grenell: Trump Wants to Run for President Again

Then-U.S. Ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell in Berlin on Nov. 8, 2019. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump has said more than once that he wants to run for the presidency again after losing the 2020 election, an ex-adviser said.

“Donald Trump is the head of the Republican Party still, let’s make no mistake about that. He’s still the most popular politician. And he’s going to decide what he wants to do,” former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell said on Newsmax over the weekend.

“He’s told me personally, multiple times, that he does want to run again. So we'll see if that holds and how that comes about; I think we’ve got a long ways to go,” Grenell added.

Almost immediately after the election ended, speculation about Trump running in 2024 started. Polls show Trump remains popular among Republican voters, which is one reason he shouldn’t try to start a new party, Grenell argued.

“Clearly, Donald Trump is a Republican and should run again as a Republican,” he said.

Trump faces the prospect of being the first president convicted on an impeachment article as the Senate plans to convene a trial in February. If the Senate convicts Trump, it can choose to disqualify him from ever holding office again. Some Democrats have said that’s one of the reasons they wanted to impeach the Republican. They’re also looking at using the Constitution to bar him from holding office.

Then-President Donald Trump speaks before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Jan. 20, 2021. Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

In his first comments since leaving office, Trump told a reporter last week that he will make a comeback in some way, but did not elaborate. On the day his successor was sworn in, Trump told supporters, “We will be back in some form.”

Jason Miller, another former Trump adviser, said earlier this month that the president would be involved in the 2022 midterms.

“President Trump is going to make sure we get the House back in 2022,” Miller said on “War Room.”

“He’s got a ton of money. He’s the biggest name. He’s going to get that done.”

Some Republican officials have sought to distance themselves from Trump over the Capitol breach, blaming him for what happened.

“The mob were provoked by the president and other powerful people,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on the Senate floor last week.

Others have nodded toward his stature and ability to bring in voters who haven’t traditionally chosen Republican candidates.

“This president brought a lot of great success within, he brought people to the party that hadn’t been involved in before, and he should continue to engage in that way,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said during a recent press conference. Appearing on Fox News, he added, “I think President Trump continues to have that ability to lead this party and unite.”