What some North Texans are saying about Trump's decision to run for president again
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) — In what may be a surprise to no one, former President Donald Trump kicked off the 2024 Presidential race from his Mar-a-Lago estate one week after the 2022 election:
"I am tonight announcing my candidacy for President of the United States. America's comeback starts right now."
His speech came after he filed papers with the Federal Election Commission that he's an official candidate.
Gina O'Briant hosted a watch party at her Dallas home and she and other Trump supporters say they don't hesitate at all to back him again.
O'Briant said, "I think he's the best President we've ever had, and I want him back."
Hunter Rose said, "We had more success in one little four-year period than we've had in any administration in my lifetime, so no hesitation to have him back."
But support for Trump isn't automatic this time.
Some elected Texas Republicans and a local party leader say the former President needs to compete in the primary like any other potential candidate.
Orlando Salazar, Vice Chair of the Dallas County Republican Party and a member of Latinos for Trump in 2020, says he's waiting to see if Florida Governor Ron DeSantis jumps into the primary. "He's a super candidate and he now has a great record to run on. The President did a great job as President, so right now, I think it's a toss-up for me."
A new poll of Republicans and Independents by the Texas GOP finds 43 percent surveyed prefer DeSantis as the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, while 32 percent chose Trump.
Other Republicans considering a run were in the single digits.
No Texas Republicans were listed as an option in the poll, including Senator Ted Cruz, who's considering his own run for President.
Cruz told Varney and Co. Tuesday, "I think we accomplished a lot of good things when Donald Trump was President. And if he's the nominee, I'll enthusiastically support him. But I also think we're going to have a process. We're going to have a primary, we're going to have a debate."
On Tuesday, Senator Cornyn alluded to a variety of candidates in other states backed by Trump who lost their elections. "The world has changed considerably just in recent weeks, and I don't expect that he'll be the only one who will run for President in 2024, and I'll support the Republican nominee, but I don't know that it will be him."
If Trump ends up becoming the nominee, Democrats like activist Haley Taylor Schlitz say it would energize their party. "I think we've proven in the most recent election, the 2020 election, but will prove again as a country that we do not want him as our President."
Gilberto Hinojosa, Chair of the Texas Democratic Party, released a statement Tuesday night.
"Texas Democrats celebrate the announcement of our twice-impeached, under-investigation, under-subpoena, former president's 2024 presidency bid," Hinojosa said. "We look forward to Donald Trump galvanizing Democrats across the country for a fourth straight election cycle."
President Joe Biden said on Twitter that "Donald Trump failed America."
As for Trump, he railed against President Biden and his policies involving the southern border and inflation. "We are a nation of decline. We are a failing nation. We are here tonight to declare that it does not have to be this way."
No word when other Republicans will jump into the race.
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