What’s Trump’s next act after his loss? Would he run in 2024? Some advisers see it as a possibility

Falsely declaring victory while votes are still being counted, President Donald Trump threatened to ask the Supreme Court to halt the counting of legally cast absentee ballots, which he described as a “fraud.” USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump may be leaving the White House – but he’s unlikely to be leaving public life. 

Trump, who lost his bid for reelection Friday to Democrat Joe Biden, will continue to be a presence on the national stage, said friends and foes. What shape that takes – from a role as a television personality to a candidate for office again – remains to be seen. 

Speculation has flown around for months about Trump’s potential next steps, including reports that he may launch a television network or continue to headline the raucous rallies that have drawn supporters by the thousands. Whatever it is, allies said they expect Trump to try to exert influence over a Republican Party he has transformed since launching his first presidential run in 2015. 

Protests: Pro-Trump protesters in Detroit rally outside voting count centers 

RELATED: Trump campaign urges Pennsylvania voters to mail late ballots

“He’s going to continue to play a significant role in the Republican Party,” said Rick Gates, an aide to Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.  “He’ll have that locked up for at least the next few years.”

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Last SlideNext Slide

Gates said Trump would likely “seriously consider another run in 2024.” 

For now, Trump’s aides aren’t thinking about post presidency and, instead, are focusing on whether Trump could challenge Biden’s win in the courts. Recounts are possible and lawsuits have already been filed in Pennsylvania and other battleground states but experts believe Trump lacks any viable path to prevail. 

“This election is not over,” Matt Morgan, a Trump 2020 campaign attorney, said Friday.

Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani told a news conference in Philadelphia on Saturday that Trump would not concede. Giuliani repeated baseless claims by Trump of rampant election fraud, saying without evidence that there were hundreds of thousands of ballots “in question.”

If Trump declines to concede or make a congratulatory call to Biden, he would be breaking more than 100 years of tradition.

Who are the other one-term presidents? Trump joins list that includes George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Herbert Hoover

Trump has been angry and frustrated, said officials speaking on the condition of anonymity, as some aides offered sobering briefings on the status of the race. Though Trump jumped out to an early lead, Biden erased those gains and saw his advantage widen in Pennsylvania, Nevada and several other states as mail-in ballots were counted. 

President Donald Trump walks to speak to members of the press on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, before boarding Marine One for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Trump is traveling to North Carolina and Florida. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

 (Photo: Patrick Semansky, AP)

Trump hasn’t discussed his post-presidential future in detail, insisting throughout the campaign that he was poised to win. But he has suggested he might return to his post as head of the Trump Organization after leaving the White House. 

It’s also possible Trump will toy with the idea of running again himself in 2024. Mick Mulvaney, a former chief of staff, predicted a Trump 2024 campaign recently while appearing in a webinar with a Ireland-based think tank.

“I would absolutely expect the president to stay involved in politics and would absolutely put him on the short list of people who are likely to run in 2024,” Mulvaney said.

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/07/trump-run-2024-what-his-next-steps-after-loss-biden/6189382002/