A weekly look at the most recent developments, buzz and speculation in the next race to the White House
The former President Donald Trump is hosting the largest fundraising event this week.
The Make America Great Again and Again super PAC event will take place at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago resort, Palm Beach, Florida. Fox News is told by sources in Trump World that the function will be attended by some of the largest GOP donors across the country.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Biondi is the super PAC’s leader. Biondi defended Trump at his first Senate impeachment trials. Trump is adding to the group’s leadership. Matt Whitaker and Ric Grenell, who were acting national intelligence director during Trump’s administration, have joined the super PAC’s board.
This is the second step in Trump’s move to beef up his super PAC. It follows his recent decision to increase his staff at Save America, his political action committee. Lynne Patton, a longtime Trump aide, was recently appointed as a political coalitions building role.
Thanks in part to an aggressive push of text messages, emails, campaign style events and even ads, Trump’s been a fundraising juggernaut this year. His three main fundraising operations, which include Save America, reported over $100 million cash on hand as of the end of July, which was the most recent filing period for the groups.
Trump’s brisk fundraising efforts and expansion of his political operations are evidence that he continues to be a kingmaker in GOP politics heading into 2022 midterm election. He flirts with a second White House bid in 2024.
Former president polls Trump-Biden 2024 showdown
Trump’s political operations commissioned a poll to determine if there would be a matchup in 2024 between the former president of the United States and President Biden.
This survey was done in five battleground states, where Trump won last year’s election. The survey shows that Trump leads Biden in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan by single digits. It also suggests that Trump is leading in Wisconsin and Michigan by double digits.
Tony Fabrizio (a veteran Republican pollster) conducted the survey. He polled for Trump’s 2016 election win and his defeat in 2020. Fabrizio noted the “wide gap that currently exists” between Trump’s recalled job approvals and Biden’s current job approvals. Fox News’ Fabrizio said Trump’s advantage was “staggering” considering that Biden is only 10 months old.
Politico first reported the poll as a sign that Trump is preparing for another run for the presidency.
Biden’s 2024 ‘intention’
After much speculation over the past month about whether President Biden would run for reelection, Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, stated last week to reporters that “that’s his intention.”
Psaki’s remarks seemed to confirm reports that the president had been telling staff and advisers that he intends to run for another four-year term as the nation’s leader.
Biden, who was 79 on Saturday, became the oldest president ever elected. Biden, if he runs for reelection in 2024, would be 82 years old at his second inauguration. He would have been 86 by the end of his second term.
Biden answered a question about 2024 at the March first official news conference of his presidency. I intend to run for reelection. This is my expectation.
Fox News has been told by Democratic sources that the president reiterated this message at a virtual fundraiser earlier in the month.
After undergoing his first annual physical exam at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda (Maryland), the president said to reporters that he felt great a day before his birthday.
“Nothing has changed. We’re in good shape,” Biden said.
