Trump’s 2024 Campaign Launches With Only 8 Supporters In Congress, Less ‘Than Cory Booker’ in 2020

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Former President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign is off to an undeniably rocky start as both conservative media and the Republican Party remain split on whether or not Trump is good for the party.

Megyn Kelly told the audience of her popular, right-leaning podcast that she actually fell asleep during Trump’s “low energy” campaign announcement on Tuesday, while Fox Business host Stuart Varney said Trump has “lost the old magic.”

Plenty on the right remain loyal to Trump and the former president continues to share, via his political action committee, articles praising him — like Jeffrey Lord writing, “YES! The Return of Trump is Essential” in The American Spectator.

Trump’s support in Congress, however, is notably soft — particularly for the de facto leader of the party.

On Thursday, Trump sent out a slew of statements boasting of endorsements from members of Congress – eight in total. These included the likes of Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), and Ronny Jackson (R-TX) – his former White House physician.

Trump also boasted of endorsements from newly elected representatives like Max Miller, a former White House aide, and Eli Crane.

Political journalist, David Weigel, wrote in Semafor on Friday about Trump’s tepid support in Congress and put it in historical context.

“Not only did Joe Biden enter the 2020 campaign with more endorsements; New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, whose campaign ended before the Iowa caucuses, launched with more Congressional support than Trump has now. And more Republicans were going on the record to warn that Trump dragged down his party,” Weigel wrote.

Booker launched his 2020 presidential campaign in 2020 with the “backing from 11 House members and his New Jersey Senate colleague Robert Menendez,” reported RollCall at the time.

The Washington Post put together a list on Thursday of who is supporting and who is not supporting Trump in the GOP. Those who have already come out against the former president, in his own party, include: Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD), Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR), Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH), Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R-VA), Rep. Greg Pence (R-ID) , and Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) – as well as several high-profile GOP donors.