OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
The uniparty is getting set to strike again to take on former President Donald Trump.
Former President George W. Bush and former President Obama are preparing to hold back to back conferences on protecting democracy after former President Trump make his “major announcement” on November 15, Axios reported.
Bush and Obama — a Republican and a Democrat respectively — didn’t coordinate their timing, organizers say. But their events — Bush’s is Nov. 16 in Dallas and Obama’s is Nov. 17 in New York — are happening the week after the U.S. midterm elections.
They follow a Nov. 14 meeting set for President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping — and what former President Trump is hyping as a “very big announcement” on Nov. 15, which may address his 2024 plans.
That’s four days of messaging from four U.S. presidents (Day Two may stand out from the others).
The conferences also precede a coming fight on Capitol Hill over how much support to continue to provide to Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s attack.
Former President Bush will be hosting “The Struggle For Freedom Conference” where he will interview Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Freedom is under attack worldwide as many countries contend with democratic backsliding and authoritarian regimes flex their muscles in and beyond their own borders. This is most visible in Ukraine following Vladimir Putin’s unjustified decision to invade the country in February. The possibility of an attack by the People’s Republic of China against democratic Taiwan remains a concern as well,” the website for the conference said.
“The lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty about the global economy, and the fluid political situation in many countries only add to the challenge. These dangers cannot be ignored,” it said.
“Now is the moment to reaffirm and expand our commitment to the democratic principles that have enshrined individual, political, and economic rights in free societies. Such principles have fostered relative peace and prosperity previously unknown throughout human history. They also fuel hope for the oppressed,” it said.
Former President Obama will be hosting the “Democracy Forum” event with Columbia University and the University of Chicago.
“At a time when democracy is under threat around the world, the promise and potential of the next generation of leaders is more important than ever. The Forum will bring attention to the biggest challenges democratic institutions face today and showcase democracy in action around the world. We will bring together hundreds of emerging leaders from across Obama Foundation programs, leading experts, and practitioners who are reimagining our institutions and protecting democratic values,” the website said.
“The best chance we have to solve our greatest challenges is to solve them together. We hope you’ll join us,” it said.
Former President Trump hinted at the big announcement and what it could be prior to the midterm elections.
“Not to detract from tomorrow’s very important, even critical, election, and I would say in the strongest way it’s a country-saving election … I’m going to be making a very big announcement on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida,” he said at the rally for JD Vance, who won his election in Ohio.
Trump gave a brief three-word response on Tuesday when he was asked if he cast a ballot for the governor of his home state of Florida, Ron DeSantis.
Trump and former first lady Melania Trump were seen in a video clip walking together when a reporter shouted, “Did you vote for Gov. DeSantis?”
Trump paused briefly, turned, and said, “Yes, I did.”
JUST IN: Donald Trump says he voted for Gov. Ron DeSantis in Floridapic.twitter.com/JirUgib2cr
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) November 8, 2022
Trump, prior to Tuesday’s midterm elections — which, by early Wednesday, did not appear to result in a large number of GOP victories, as many expected — gave indications that he would announce another 2024 presidential bid on Nov. 15. But many analysts also expected that decision to be based on the outcome of Tuesday’s elections, and if Republicans underperform, it’s possible Trump may change his mind.
As of Wednesday morning, several races had yet to be called, though Republicans were creeping towards a small House majority. The Senate, however, remained in flux, though Pennsylvania Democratic contender John Fetterman had been declared the winner over Trump-backed Mehmet Oz.
Late Tuesday, DeSantis defeated his Democratic challenger Charlie Crist in Florida’s gubernatorial race.
DeSantis was in a fantastic spot heading into Tuesday night after raising a record-breaking $200 million for his re-election campaign. By comparison, Crist only raised around $31 million, Politico reported.
DeSantis has only spent around $100,000 on his campaign which means he still has around $90 million left in the bank.