Former US President Trump announces official bid for 2024 presidential election

WASHINGTON: Former US President Donald Trump has officially announced his third run for the White House, kicking off the 2024 presidential election cycle even as the country is still wrapping up the 2022 midterms, which have left him a much diminished figure on account of the defeat of Republican candidates backed by him.

"To make America great again, I am today announcing my candidacy for the President of the United States," Trump announced at an event on Tuesday at Mar-a-Lago, his resort-cum-residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

The former President read from a teleprompter, which he had disparaged earlier as a prop for less accomplished speakers, and stuck to the script, which was also unusual. And, he seemed to lack the energy that he is known to display at campaign rallies. It was a very mellowed version of Trump that Trump put up.

Trump also never once repeated his lies about losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden because of fraud, which appear to have been rejected summarily by voters in the November 8 midterm elections.

Candidates he backed rode those lies in the expectation of winning, but didn't. Trump's case for seeking a second term was simply this: at the end of his administration in 2020, the US was in a great shape, and it's been in decline under his successor. (IANS)

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