Mitt Romney Makes A Big Prediction About Donald Trump
Mitt Romney has predicted that Donald Trump would win the GOP nomination if he ran for president again in 2024. At a virtual event hosted by The New York Times in February 2021, Romney had this to say (via The Hill), "He has by far the largest voice and a big impact in my party." The Utah senator added, "I don't know about his family members, whether they intend to do that, but I expect he will continue playing a role."
"I'm pretty sure he will win the nomination," Romney continued, although he observed that a lot could happen before the 2024 election. "I look at the polls and the polls show that, among the names being floated as potential contenders in 2024, if you put President Trump in there among Republicans he wins in a landslide," he said.
As Bloomberg observed, Romney was "the only Republican who voted to convict Trump in both of his impeachment trials." Per The Hill, the senator clarified that he "would not be voting for President Trump again" if he did run. He noted, "I haven't voted for him in the past and I would probably be getting behind somebody who I thought more represented the tiny wing of the Republican Party that I represent."
Mitt Romney says the populist movement isn't 'going away any time soon'
During his virtual interview with The New York Times in February 2021 at the DealBook DC Policy Project, Mitt Romney also touched on populism. "There's a populist movement on the right in this country and on the left," the senator said (via The Hill). "They're not going away any time soon. Although I think overtime policies that endure, and that really help the American family, will be more successful." Romney continued by stating his position, "So, I remain, if you will, a more traditional conservative than some of the populist rhetoric within my party."
As of this writing, Donald Trump has not announced any plans to run for office in 2024. According to The Hill, the former president revealed in a February 2021 interview that it was "too early to say," but that he had "tremendous support" and was encouraged by his poll numbers. "I'm the only guy who gets impeached and my numbers go up," Trump commented.
In a poll conducted by USA Today, 85% of Trump voters surveyed said that they would support him in a general election. Per the outlet, 46%-27% of respondents stated that they would leave the Republican party and follow Trump if he created his own political party, which has led some to echo Romney's fear that the Republican Party has experienced a significant split.
Could Trump win the presidential election in 2024?
Although Donald Trump will not give a definite answer about possibly running for a second term in 2024, the numbers seem to suggest he could very well grab the Republican nomination for the next election. Another poll — this one from Morning Consult/Politico — showed that 54% of Republicans "said they would support Trump in a hypothetical 2024 presidential primary election." Furthermore, he wouldn't be the only president to get reelected in nonconsecutive elections: Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, according to the U.S. National Park Service's website.
What's more? According to political expert Dr. Reneé Carr's November 2020 interview with The List, Trump could very well not just win the Republican nom, but the whole 2024 election. "Trump will continue to stoke the emotions and energy of his loyal voter base through claims of election fraud," she theorized. "By his continued accusations of the election being 'stolen' from him, this prevents psychological closure of the election for both himself and those who voted for him." This rhetoric could prolong a feeling of injustice among Trump's supporters, which according to Carr, may "intensify his voters' loyalty."
However, Carr stated that if President Joe Biden maintains support from his voters and follows through on his promises, he could very well minimize Trump's possibility of reelection.
Will Joe Biden run again in 2024?
According to Politico, Donald Trump submitted himself for the 2020 presidential election the same day he celebrated his inauguration as the 45th president of the United States. President Joe Biden has not submitted paperwork as of this writing. Politico reported that Biden's team wants the president to focus on the coronavirus pandemic and reinvigorating the economy instead. However, Delaware Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat, said Biden will definitely run again. "He [Biden] knows that we are at the middle of an absolute turning point, a pivot point in American history. And he's up for the challenge," Coons shared.
However, there have been mixed reports regarding Biden's potential presidential run in 2024. In December 2019, Politico interviewed four insiders close to Biden, and they all agreed it would be "virtually inconceivable that he will run for reelection in 2024." In August 2020, however, Biden told ABC News that he would "absolutely" be open to running in 2024.
Trump and Biden both have plenty of time to make up their minds about the 2024 election, so it seems unlikely they will voice their plans anytime soon. Either way, there's no question about how Utah Sen. Mitt Romney feels about the situation.