Trump on Anticipated 2024 Bid: Will Keep Everyone in ‘Massive Suspense’

Former President Donald Trump arrives at the 2022 Zionist Organization of America Superstar Gala to receive the ZOA Theodor Herzl Medallion at Pier Sixty in New York on Nov. 13, 2022. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

NEW YORK—Former President Donald Trump is again hinting about a third presidential run despite some resistance from his inner circle, saying that he'll keep people in “massive suspense.”

“We‘ll be making a statement on Tuesday night, we’ll see,” he told a crowd of hundreds on the night of Nov. 13 at an annual gala hosted by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), a major Jewish nonprofit based in New York that advocates for Israel’s causes.

“We’ll keep you in this massive suspense: ‘Oh gee, I wonder what he’s gonna do?’ Well, we'll defend our interests and our shared security, we’ll advance the cause of liberty, and we’ll protect our sovereignty, and we’ll secure borders.”

Ahead of the midterm elections, Trump said he would make a “big announcement” on Nov. 15 at his Mar-a-Lago resort, anticipating that a projected “red wave” would boost his expected presidential bid. But the election results proved disappointing to Republicans, who didn’t manage to gain control of the Senate and face the prospect of only a slim majority in the House.

With some high-profile Republican candidates endorsed by Trump not faring as hoped during the midterms, the former president has faced heat from some within the party. Some have urged him to delay his announcement, while other allies, such as Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) who cruised to reelection, have openly backed him.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at the 2022 Zionist Organization of America Superstar Gala after receiving the ZOA Theodor Herzl Medallion at Pier Sixty in New York on Nov. 13, 2022. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

Acknowledging that the midterm outcome wasn’t a total triumph, Trump said his endorsed candidates secured “a very big victory.” So far, at least 80 percent of the 254 candidates he endorsed have won.

At the Nov. 13 ceremony, ZOA President Morton Klein honored Trump with the Theodor Herzl Medallion award recognizing contributions to Israel. The prize has previously been awarded to dignitaries such as former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and former U.S. President Harry Truman.

The organization has described Trump as “the best friend Israel ever had in the White House,” highlighting his accomplishments that include forging the Abraham Accords, the normalization deal signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain; recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital; and opening the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

Former President Donald Trump receives the Theodor Herzl Medallion at the 2022 Zionist Organization of America Superstar Gala at Pier Sixty in New York on Nov. 13, 2022. Courtesy of Zionist Organization of America

Trump credited what he called the “historic Abraham Accords” for bringing peace to the Middle East.

“So proud of that,“ he said as attendees clapped in response. ”The most important breakthroughs of peace in generations. It’s just nobody believed that was possible.”

Trump said that if he were still president, the Ukraine war would not have occurred.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine never would have happened,” the former president said in his speech. “I know [Russian] President Putin very well. I know [Ukrainian President] Zelenskyy very well, great relationship with him, and this would have never ever happened.”

In reference to Ukraine, Trump said: “What a shame to see all these people dying. You see a city blown up, buildings crashing to the ground. ... You lose hundreds and hundreds of people.”

And it looks like Taiwan could be the next, he said.

As he left the stage, the audience stood up and cheered, while some chanted “four more years.”