President Donald Trump is still in the thick of contesting the 2020 election, which he hasn't conceded. In the meantime, speculation is rampant about his future should Joe Biden replace him in January. A new Morning Consult poll shows a majority of Republican voters---54%---would vote for Trump if he runs for president in 2024, with Mike Pence the next nearest choice on the list at 12%.
Matt Mackowiak, Texas-based Republican consultant, thinks all the talk about 2024 is a little premature. "Right now it may look like (Trump) wants to run in 2024, but that's three years off before he has to make that decision," he tells KTRH. "A lot can happen in politics in that amount of time, and Trump's already in his mid 70s."
Trump may not have a clean path to the GOP nomination even if he decides to run. "There are a lot of people who are probably seriously considering running in 2024, including his own vice president, including perhaps his son Don Jr., his secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and a number of governors and senators," says Mackowiak.
Then there is the possibility of attractive opportunities for Trump outside the White House. "The other question is what's he going to do business-wise," says Mackowiak. "Is he going to write a book, is he going to give paid speeches, is he going to get back into the real estate world again?"
Whatever he does or doesn't do, Trump will undoubtedly remain the most important and influential figure in the Republican Party. "I do think that given President Trump's strong approval rating among Republicans, he is likely to maintain that leadership position within the party," says Mackowiak.