Donald Trump, who has mounted relentless attacks on the integrity of US voting since his 2020 election defeat, has launched a bid to regain the presidency in 2024.
Look back on our blog to see how Wednesday's announcement and reactions unfolded.
Key events
Live updates
By Jessica Riga
We'll wrap things up here
Well! That was ... a lot.
If you're just joining us now, let's get you up to speed:
- Former US president Donald Trump has vowed to put America first and announced his third bid to become the country's leader
- Trump declared his long-anticipated decision to run for the 2024 Republican nomination during an event at his Florida estate in Mar-a-Lago
- He's currently the subject of multiple criminal and civil investigations, which experts have clarified will still go ahead during his tilt for the presidency
- Trump say he will "save the American dream" if he returns to the Oval Office
- Trump's daughter, Ivanka, who served as one of his senior advisors, has confirmed she won't return to politics, saying she's prioritising her young children
- When asked if he had a reaction to Trump's bid, US President Joe Biden said, "no, not really"
Looking for more of our coverage?
-
These were the key moments from Trump's speech promising to bring about 'America's comeback'
- Here's what Trump's second term in the White House could look like
It's time to bring this live blog to a close, but you can download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest news. We even have a category dedicated to just US Politics so you never miss a moment. Bye for now!
By Jessica Riga
Trump's 'big announcement' wasn't a surprise. But some of the things he left out were
After teasing a "big announcement" that sparked a flurry of speculation last week, Donald Trump has declared his intention to run for president in 2024.
In a meandering speech, Trump took aim at his Democrat rival Joe Biden, claimed credit for the Republicans winning back the House in the midterm elections (they're one seat shy), and skirted around false claims of election fraud in 2020.
In the article below, Lucia Stein and Lucy Sweeney break down the key moments from today's announcement.
By Jessica Riga
Analyst says Trump maintains a personal connection with GOP base
Simon Jackman says establishment Republican's choice of Ron DeSantis doesn't have the same personal connection with the party's base as Donald Trump.
By Jessica Riga
Meanwhile, Republicans are one seat away from winning the House
There are 10 races still to be called, with Democrats on 209 and Republicans holding 217.
Republican leaders are facing an intense backlash on Capitol Hill over their weaker-than-expected performance and could end up with one of the slimmest House majorities in 90 years.
By Shiloh Payne
Which Republicans might also run for president?
There are a number of Republicans being named as possible contenders to take on Trump in the primary elections.
These include Florida governor Ron DeSantis and former vice president Mike Pence.
Other potential Republican rivals include former secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former diplomat Nikki Haley.
By Jessica Riga
Trump puts Republican Party in a bind: John Barron
Planet America's John Barron says Donald Trump's candidacy puts the Republican Party in a difficult position, regardless of whether he wins the nomination or not.
By Jessica Riga
How the Trump campaign is collecting data
New York Times reporter Shane Goldmacher has pointed out that Trump's campaign website is asking visitors to provide their email address and phone number in order to access an "exclusive video" in a bid to collect their data.
By Bridget Judd
Does Donald Trump have a chance in the Republican primary?
Following Ron DeSantis’ overwhelming victory in Florida during the recent midterms, does Donald Trump have a chance to become the Republican nominee for President in 2024?
Republican strategist Bill Kristol believes everyone – Trump, DeSantis and other Republicans – all have a chance, but we’ll have to wait and see.
He told Planet America that there’s too much we just don’t know:
“We don't know how others will stand up to him in a Republican primary, and how voters will react when people take on Trump.
"An awful lot of us Republican voters feel loyal to him and still admire lots about him, if not everything about him. – so I think we're really in uncharted waters."
He says "we don't know how Trump will do with the Republican side".
"We don't know if Biden really will run again, though – he says he wants to, but he'll be 82 on election day.
"We don't know what this Republican House with a narrow majority will actually look like. It's a pretty unusual moment in American politics."
Watch the ABC’s Planet America Special tonight at 9.30 pm AEDT on ABC TV and iview.
By Tom Williams
Musician Isaac Hayes's family say they didn't approve Trump's use of Hold On, I'm Comin'
When Donald Trump ended his speech today, the song Hold On, I'm Comin' — written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter — was played as proceedings came to a close.
The song was recorded by Black soul duo Sam & Dave, and released in 1966.
Trump has played the song at campaign rallies in the past.
In a series of tweets, Hayes's estate and family say they didn't approve Trump's latest use of the song, and "are exploring multiple legal options".
"Stopping a politician from using your music is not always an easy task, but we are dedicated to making sure that Donald Trump does not continue to use 'Hold on I'm Coming' by written by Isaac Hayes an (sic) David Porter in further rallies and public appearances," they said.
By Jessica Riga
Who is to blame for the Republicans performance in the midterms?
A lot of people blame Donald Trump for the Republicans performance in the midterms – but Trump blames Mitch McConnell.
But who really is to blame? Sam Nunberg, Trump's former campaign adviser, told Planet America Trump definitely played a part – and a significant one:
He’s certainly not 100 per cent the reason why the Republicans underperformed in many of these critical elections, but he’s a strong ingredient.
What I would say in a nutshell is this: every single state-wide candidate that Donald Trump endorsed early on, that openly questioned 2020 or even said there was fraud in 2020, whether it was for governor or for the senate, all of them lost.
Watch the ABC’s Planet America Special tonight at 9.30 pm AEDT on ABC TV and iview.
By Jessica Riga
Why did Trump announce his presidential campaign so early?
A lot of people were telling Donald Trump not to announce his campaign this early – so why did he?
Sam Nunberg is Trump’s former campaign adviser from his 2016 run and shared his thoughts with Planet America:
The US Department of Justice, at a federal level, they have a rule where 90 days before an election they won’t do a political indictment.
So, my feeling is he had decided he was going to announce the week after the midterms regardless of the outcome, because he needs to be a candidate in case he’s indicted by the Department of Justice.
He had to be a candidate before he was indicted – the issue is whether he’ll be able to beat out the clock on the trial if he’s the nominee.
If the race were today, I’d tell you he probably wouldn’t be the nominee.
But let’s see where we are 6-7 months from now.
Watch the ABC’s Planet America Special tonight at 9.30 pm AEDT on ABC TV and iview.
By Tom Williams
Wesley Hunt says Trump 'is exactly the man America needs'
Republican Wesley Hunt, who won Texas' District 38 in the midterm elections, says Donald Trump is the person to save American from a 'rapid decline'.
"The difference between president Donald Trump and Joe Biden could not be more stark," he said in a statement, which is full of debatable claims regarding the US economy, environment and world peace.
By Jessica Riga
Does Biden have a reaction to Trump's bid? 'No, not really'
Multiple media outlets are reporting that US President Joe Biden, who is in Bali for G20, was asked if he has a reaction to Trump's 2024 campaign launch.
His reply was "no, not really."
By Tom Williams
Democrat Adam Schiff says Trump's campaign is the 'same old lies'
Congressman Adam Schiff has reacted to Donald Trump's speech, describing the former president's campaign as "New grift. Same old grifter".
Here's what he had to say:
By Tom Williams
Republican Lindsey Graham says Trump 'will be hard to beat'
By Jessica Riga
Inside Mar-a-Lago
Trump's Florida residence, which was raided by the FBI a few months ago, set the stage for today's announcement.
As supporters and the media were let inside, it appears Trump has a portrait of himself above the White House hung near his stairs.
By Jessica Riga
Trump's address deemed 'uninspiring'
Sarah Matthews, a former White House secretary, called Donald Trump's address "one of the most low-energy, uninspiring speeches I’ve ever heard from Trump.
"Even the crowd seems bored. Not exactly what you want when announcing a presidential run."
By Jessica Riga
'Pisses me off': Former press secretary responds
Stephanie Grisham, Trump's former White House press secretary, says: "Saying he took 'decisive action with COVID and saved lives' frankly pisses me off.
"I was there, in the meetings. He was worried about his re-election, not the country."
By Tom Williams
Obama adviser says people should assume Trump could win again
David Plouffe, who was a campaign manager and senior adviser for former US president Barack Obama, has tweeted the following:
By Jessica Riga
How many legal problems does Trump currently face?
Short answer, a lot.
Donald Trump enters the race facing enormous challenges. Here's a quick recap, as there's a lot to keep track of:
- The former president is the subject of numerous investigations, including the monthslong probe into the hundreds of documents with classified markings found in boxes at Mar-a-Lago
- Meanwhile, Trump is facing Justice Department scrutiny over efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election
- In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is investigating what she alleges was "a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign" to influence the 2020 results
- And in New York, Attorney General Letitia James has sued Trump, alleging his namesake company engaged in decades' worth of fraudulent bookkeeping by misleading banks about the value of his assets (The Trump Organization is also now on trial, facing criminal tax fraud charges)
Some in Trump's orbit believe that running will help shield him against potential indictment, but there is no legal statute that would prevent the Justice Department from moving forward — or prevent Trump from continuing to run if he is charged.
