Trump reportedly hopes to continue his rallies if he loses, 'joked' about running again in 2024


If President Trump goes down to defeat on Tuesday, he's almost certainly bringing some Republican senators down with him, thanks to "his divisive style of politics, handling of the pandemic, and close alliance with the Senate GOP," Politico reports. "It's not just Trump who is on the ballot on Tuesday, but the present and future of the Republican Party," and "Republicans are praying one or more" their rising stars "can hold on to help lead the party, particularly if the GOP is trying to decipher a post-Trump world."
It's not clear there's a "post-Trump world" anytime soon. Top officials in both parties "are bracing for a world" in which Trump "and the brand of politics he unleashed remain a predominant force for the foreseeable future," especially in the Republican Party he has effectively taken over, The Daily Beast reports. "Trumpism as a movement has redefined the political landscape in ways that few operatives believe is reversible," and even if he loses, "Trump has privately signaled that he has no desire to leave the stage quietly in defeat." The Daily Beast elaborates:
The president has talked with aides about potentially continuing rallies after the election, a source familiar with the planning said. He has recently joked with others about running again in 2024 in the event he is a one-termer, and also to see media, Democrats, and "RINO" heads explode, according to two people who've heard him say so. Even absent another presidential run, his top congressional and political allies and family members seem poised to inherit the movement that he has birthed. [The Daily Beast]
"Whether in three days or in three years, the Republican Party will have to grapple with the basic question: Does the GOP exist without Trump? Not his message, not his policies, but Trump himself," former Trump Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur, who left the GOP after leaving the DOJ, told The Daily Beast on Monday. "It's like asking if the John Wick franchise works without Keanu Reeves."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
China accuses NSA of Winter Games cyberattacks
speed read China alleges that the U.S. National Security Agency launched cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games in February
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Russian strike kills dozens in Ukraine
Speed Read The Sumy ballistic missile strike was Russia's deadliest attack on civilians this year
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
South Korea court removes impeached president
Speed Read The Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol after his declaration of martial law in December
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Myanmar quake deaths rise as survivor search intensifies
speed read The magnitude-7.7 earthquake in central Myanmar has killed a documented 2,000 people so far, and left scores more trapped beneath rubble
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson
-
Israel detains director after West Bank settler clash
speed read The director of Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land' was arrested and beaten
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Turkey arrests Istanbul mayor, a top Erdogan rival
Speed Read Protests erupted in Turkey after authorities detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu
By Peter Weber, The Week US