“I would say my big decision will be whether I go before or after,” Trump said in an interview published Thursday, seemingly referring to the midterm elections in November.
“Do I go before or after? That will be my big decision,” Trump added, after confirming that he has “already made that decision” when asked if he is planning to run.
“I think a lot of people would not even run if I did that because, if you look at the polls, they don’t even register,” Trump said.
One of those Republicans is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, an emerging hero among grassroots conservatives whose own actions — including his refusal to publicly rule out a primary challenge to Trump — have strongly indicated that he may also be eyeing the White House. Trump has previously told advisers that he believes he would easily defeat the Florida Republican in a primary, in addition to highlighting his own enduring popularity among the GOP base in recent statements and posts to his Truth Social website.
“Every day is different. We get told he’s going to announce imminently, and by the afternoon, that has changed,” one source with knowledge said.
Meanwhile, a person close to Trump said that if he doesn’t announce this month, the most likely alternative would be a September campaign launch right around Labor Day.
