Kayleigh McEnany Urges Trump to Suspend 2024 Announcement
Kayleigh McEnany, the Trump press secretary turned Fox News host, urged the former president to postpone his major announcement next week expected to declare a 2024 presidential run.
Ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections Donald Trump previewed a “major announcement” on Nov. 15, expected to be the launch of his re-election bid.
The results of the midterms have thrown a wrench in those plans: not only did an expected red wave fail to materialize, but Trump’s most viable potential Republican challenger in 2024, Ron DeSantis, pulled off a commanding win in Florida. Meanwhile, many of the fringe candidates Trump supported flopped, prompting soul-searching from Republicans who have since decried Trump as an albatross.
McEnany, who served as press secretary to Trump during the chaotic final months of his administration, said on Fox News Wednesday the fate of the Senate may again come down to Georgia, where there will a run-off between incumbent Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
“Every ounce of Republican energy, every last ounce, needs to go into that Georgia race because it could potentially be what makes or breaks the Senate,” she said. “Getting Herschel Walker over the finish line.”
“I know there’s a temptation to talk about 2024. No, no, no. 2022 is not over. Every Republican energy needs to go to grinding the Biden agenda to a halt,” she added.
“Does that include Trump?” Fox anchor Harris Faulkner asked.
“I think he needs to put it on pause, absolutely,” McEnany said. “He will make his own decision.”
Faulkner followed up by twice asking if Trump should go to Georgia to campaign for Walker, and McEnany’s answer is sure to sting her former boss.
“I think Governor Desantis should be welcomed given what happened last night,” she said. “You have to look at the realities on the ground. We have to win the Senate. That’s it. Got to win the Senate.”
McEnany’s advice would be well-heeded: In 2020, Democrats pulled off an incredible upset in Georgia, winning both senate seats in a flip that won Democrats control of the Senate and left many Republicans blaming Trump for pushing false claims of election fraud.
Regardless of how sensible her advice is, don’t expect Trump to take it. Maggie Haberman reported Wednesday there is no indication Trump is changing his plans of a Nov. 15 announcement.
