OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former President Donald Trump, who will be 78 years old in 2024, has said his health would be the only factor that would prevent him from running again for the White House.
But that said, he also predicted that his former vice president, Mike Pence, along with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would not oppose him for the GOP nomination if he does decide to get in the 2024 presidential race.
Trump made his remarks in an interview that was published Thursday in which he said he admitted to his advisers that his age and health would certainly factor into any presidential campaign decision.
“You always have to talk about health. You look like you’re in good health, but tomorrow, you get a letter from a doctor saying come see me again,” Trump told the Washington Post. “That’s not good when they use the word ‘again.'”
As before, Trump would not directly commit to a third run. He only strongly hinted at one.
“I don’t want to comment on running, but I think a lot of people are going to be very happy by my decision,” he said.
The Daily Mail added:
Trump leads potential Republican rivals by sizable majorities in polls.
It leaves much of the rest of the possible field waiting to see when and whether he throws his hat in the ring.
The former president also spent much of the interview focused on his grip on his party, at a time when some of his endorsements have backfired.
Physicians who study aging, as well as presidential health, have suggested that Trump could be a “super-ager” — that is, someone who remains healthy and active well into his 80s. But they have also suggested his family’s history of dementia along with his personal obesity could also factor in at some point.
As for who he would face off against in a Republican primary, Trump predicted that the aforementioned political leaders would step aside.
“If I ran, I can’t imagine they’d want to run. Some out of loyalty would have had a hard time running,” he told the Post. “I think that most of those people, and almost every name you mentioned, is there because of me. In some cases, because I backed them and endorsed them.
“You know Ron was at 3 percent, and the day I endorsed him, he won the race,” he said, adding: “As soon as I endorsed him, the race was over.”
But jumping back in for another shot at the Oval Office isn’t a sure thing for Trump for other reasons.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), one of the former president’s closest allies in Congress, has said he believes the entire purpose of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Select Committee on Jan. 6 is to block Trump from running again.
Jordan, who is also calling for investigations into Democrats if Republicans win back control of Congress in November’s midterms, has repeatedly lashed out at the panel, describing it as just a political weapon in Democrats’ tool belt ahead of 2022 and certainly 2024. And he called it a “political operation” aimed primarily at stopping the 45th president.
“There’s been subpoenas issued to 11 individuals, 11 American citizens who asked the government permission on an application to hold the Trump rally,” Jordan said. “The government granted it and now the January 6 committee petitions them to ask them questions about exercising their First Amendment right to assemble.”
“And why would they subpoena me? I didn’t do anything wrong — I talked to the president,” Jordan said. “I talk to the president all the time. I just think that’s — you know where I’m at on this commission — this is all about going after President Trump. That seems obvious.”
“Everyone in the country sees this as a political operation. This is designed to get after President Trump. Because they don’t want him to run again,” he added.