Yahoo Movies Which Republicans will back Trump if he runs in 2024?
Speculation about who will be the 2024 Republican presidential nominee is at an all-time high as former President Donald Trump continues to tease an attempt for a second term. True enough, Trump appears to have many allies within the GOP who are prepared to support him if he's on the ticket. Still others, though, seem either uncertain or decidedly against him as a candidate. Mounting legal concerns — including the Jan. 6 Capitol attack investigation — have plagued Trump since he left office, and seemingly caused him to slip in the polls.
Here is where prominent Republican lawmakers stand on whether or not they support Trump as a candidate for the 2024 presidential election:
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.): Anti-Trump 2024
Rep. Liz Cheney has been one of the most vocal Republican critics of former President Trump, particularly over his promotion of voter fraud conspiracies. CNN reports that Cheney went as far as to say that she would leave the GOP if Trump is selected as the Republican Party's nominee for the 2024 presential election. "I'm going to make sure Donald Trump — I'm going to do everything I can to make sure he is not the nominee. And if he is the nominee, I won't be a Republican," Cheney said at The Texas Tribune Festival on Saturday.
Cheney went on to say that she would campaign on the behalf of Democrats to ensure that other Republican candidates who amplify voter fraud theories don't win their elections.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.): Unclear
Trump allies have scorned South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace for publicly criticizing Trump's efforts to have the election overturned and for being against the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Mace avoided directly endorsing Trump, but stated that she would "support whomever Republicans nominate."
Despite not voting in favor of impeaching the former president, she has advised other Republicans to look for substance in potential presidential candidates, hinting at her willingness to consider other potential nominees besides Trump, per The Washington Post. "I'm very much hopeful, and I think you'll see this on both sides of the aisle, [for] a deep bench of Republicans and Democrats who will be running for president in '24. I hope that's what happens," she told Meet the Press.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.): Pro-Trump 2024
Sen. Lindsey Graham advised Trump he had no chance of winning the 2020 election, but the South Carolinian believes the former president stands a "pretty good chance" in the 2024 race. Speaking with CNBC reporters in July, Graham said he told Trump, "If you come back, it will be one of the greatest political comebacks in American history. And if you get four more years, you can do big stuff."
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas): Waiting to see what Trump decides
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is one of the top names being floated as a potential alternative to Trump in 2024. As the runner-up in the 2016 Republican primaries, he's conceded that he would likely try running again, though he's also made it clear that he won't make his decision about 2024 until Trump makes an announcement.
"There are a lot of candidates out there feeling their oats and boasting, 'I'm running no matter what. I don't care what Donald Trump says.' Anyone who says that is lying. That's an idiotic statement for someone to make who's actually thinking about running," Cruz told The Washington Examiner in early September.
The senator also stated, "The whole world will change depending on what Donald Trump decides. That's true for every candidate. That's true of every potential candidate."
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.): Pro-Trump 2024
The third-highest-ranked House Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik emphatically endorsed Trump as a candidate for the next presidential election. Stefanik told Politico, "I support President Trump running in 2024," and said she'd endorse him over other GOP candidates running in 2024.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): Pro-Trump 2024
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), the chair of the Republican Study Committee, claims he will back Trump as soon as the former president announces plans to run. Banks also believes an early Trump announcement could help draw more supporters to the polls this fall. "If President Trump runs, he has my support," said Banks when interviewed by Politico. Banks added, "He's more popular than he's ever been before."
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.): Anti-Trump 2024
Politico reports that Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) has previously said he won't support Trump if he runs again. He told reporters that he hopes former Vice President Mike Pence will run in 2024 after meeting with the Republican Study Committee in September.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.): Unclear — but a likely rival
Trump once called DeSantis his "great friend," but their relationship appears to be on the rocks as DeSantis is increasingly heralded as a potential rival in the 2024 primary. Sources close to the former president said the two haven't spoken since early summer, The Washington Post reports. Trump has yet to endorse DeSantis in his November re-election race, despite doing so in 2018; DeSantis likewise hasn't asked Trump for an endorsement and according to Politico, doesn't plan to do so.
DeSantis has yet to announce plans to run for president, but he also hasn't denied that he is considering it. He has been touring swing states and headlining Republican rallies throughout the country.
DeSantis told Fox News reporters "nice try" when asked if wanted to run in June. The Post reports that he told Arizona donors who inquired about his 2024 ambitions that "I'm governor of Florida, and I'm running for re-election in Florida."
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