11 challengers - and increase the chances for Trump

Wolfgang Hansson  

Republican wasp nest 2024 favors Trump  

Published: Less than 3 hours ago  

This is a commenting text. Analysis and positions are the writer's. 

COLUMNISTS 

Until a few months ago, Donald Trump was the only Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election.  

Today, the Republican field is pure wasp's nest with 12 hopefuls buzzing in the hive. 

Curiously, Trump seems to benefit the more the challengers become. 

For a long time, the question was whether anyone would even dare to challenge ex-president

Donald Trump

for fear of falling victim to his bullying and rudeness and the wrath of Trump-loyal voters.  

In mid-February, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley broke the barrier when she announced her candidacy.  

Then it was fairly quiet again. Up until now.  

In the last month, the Republican candidates have stood like sticks in the hill.  

The majority of them are quite unknown and thus also quite without a chance if they do not somehow miraculously manage to break through the noise. 

Donald Trump. Photo: Charles Krupa / TT NEWS AGENCY  

Trump leads widely in all opinion polls despite recently being indicted on campaign finance charges and having a new indictment waiting around the corner for taking top secret White House documents.  

So far, there is only one contender worthy of the name, Florida Governor

Ron DeSantis

. He is at around 20 percent in the opinion polls against Trump's 50. 

DeSantis has been described as a Trump copy minus the drama.  

In fact, DeSantis is in many ways an even more extreme politician than Donald Trump, albeit without Trump's self-absorbed personality.  

Banning books  

He wants to decide which books school children will be allowed to read. Purges of hateful literature are in full swing in the state's school libraries. He recently signed a law banning abortion in Florida after the sixth week of pregnancy.  

A few years ago, he was regarded as the Republicans' shining shooting star and was considered almost a foregone conclusion as the party's presidential candidate. Since then, his star has fallen precariously. 

Ron DeSantis. Photo: Charlie Neibergall / AP  

But just as he was previously overrated, today there is a tendency to underestimate him. There is just over half a year until the primary elections start in February next year. A lot can happen until then.  

The rest of the starting field is far behind, but there are some names that are interesting due to the fact that they can play a decisive role. 

Mike Pence

  announced his candidacy yesterday. That a former vice president is standing up to his former boss, ex-president Trump, is almost unique.  

Pence is a conservative politician of the old stock. Celebrates God, marriage and traditional values.  

Few believe he has a chance, but Pence can influence through his position as the one who stood up to Trump when Congress was stormed on January 6, 2021 and the vice president refused to annul

Joe Biden

'

s 

election victory. 

"Shouldn't be president"  

In announcing his candidacy, Pence immediately took the bull by the horns and condemned Trump's actions. 

- No one who puts himself above the American constitution should be able to become president of the United States, Pence stated. 

In the election campaign, his defense of democracy will stand against Trump's false claims that he actually won the 2020 election. 

Mike Pence. Photo: Scott P. Yates/AP  

Most of those who stand up paw around Trump like hot porridge for fear of incurring the wrath of Trump supporters.  

They do not mention him by name but indirectly let us understand that they represent a completely different leadership style. 

There is an exception. Former New Jersey Governor

Chris Christie.

 

He called Trump "a lonely, self-absorbed, self-righteous, mirror monkey" as he launched his presidential campaign this week.  

He knows what he's talking about because his worked with Trump on and off during his time as president.  

He is basically running just to prevent Trump from becoming the party's presidential nominee. Christie's chances are considered small, but his constant sniping at Trump during the campaign could hurt the ex-president and also make some of the other candidates take courage and also attack the real estate billionaire from. New York.  

Chris Christie. Photo: Mel Evans/AP

Winner takes all  

 

Not least because Christie accuses Trump of being behind the many election losses that the Republican Party suffered with him at the helm.  

 

The fact that Donald Trump is challenged by so many may paradoxically speak in his favor. The reason is the electoral system in the primaries, where the winner in most states takes home all the votes for the party convention in Milwaukee that finally chooses the party's candidate next summer.

When the vote is divided among many candidates, it becomes easier for Trump to win the game. As opposed to if he was only facing a tough challenger.  

More candidates may be added. But as the starting field looks right now, the most likely is a repeat in 2024 of the presidential election in 2020 where Joe Biden is again pitted against Donald Trump. 

But it is so far away that much can happen that changes that prophecy.

FACTS  

They want to be the Republican presidential candidate  

Donald Trump, 76, real estate billionaire. President 2016-2020  

Ron DeSantis, 44, Governor of Florida.  

Nikki Haley, 51, former UN ambassador and governor of South Carolina  

Mike Pence, 64, Trump's vice president 2016-2020, former governor of Indiana  

Christ Christie, 60, former governor of New Jersey who occasionally worked for Trump in the White House  

Larry Elder, 71, former conservative media personality.  

Asa Hutchinson, 72, former congressman and governor of Arkansas  

Perry Johnson, 75, Michigan businessman who failed in previous elections 

Vivek Ramaswamy, 37, investor and former CEO of a pharmaceutical company.  

Tim Scott, 57, black senator from South Carolina. Ryan Binkley, businessman and pastor from Dallas.  

Doug Burgum, 66, North Dakota governor and former tech entrepreneur.