• Donald Trump has announced his third straight presidential bid.
• On display were some of Mr. Trump’s continued strengths.
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• He has an unmatched sense of which issues are important to grass-roots conservatives.

In an incredibly unprecedented attempt by a former US president to win the White House back after losing an election, Donald Trump has announced his third consecutive run for president.

The lengthy speech, which lasted more than an hour, mainly consisted of bragging about his accomplishments as president and criticisms of Joe Biden’s first two years in office.

Some of Mr. Trump’s outstanding strengths were on display. He has an unmatched understanding of the concerns of grassroots conservatives, such as crime and immigration. His erratic and agitated attitude may generate news coverage and deprive his rivals of attention.

He can persuade Americans who are generally disengaged to vote thanks to his group of devoted supporters. And many of those supporters now hold senior positions inside the Republican Party after four years in administration.

He downplayed the difficulties and mistakes made during the Covid epidemic and completely disregarded his months-long election denial that resulted in a mob of his followers attacking the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

He made an effort to justify the Republican Party’s underwhelming showing in last week’s midterm elections as well as his backing of unsuccessful candidates, which has drawn increasing criticism from conservative circles.

As opposed to a “traditional candidate,” Mr. Trump said that his movement, his supporters, and his campaign were up to the task at hand. Although he rode that movement to victory six years ago, there is reason to think that this time around the challenges he will face in his reelection bid will be greater. This is why.

       1. Maintaining a record

Mr. Trump was a political novice eight years ago. Voters could project their dreams and wants onto him because of his lack of experience holding office. He could make exaggerated statements without opponents drawing attention to his previous failings and weaknesses (so much winning!).

That is no longer the case. During his four years in office, Mr. Trump made several major policy advancements, such as tax cuts and criminal justice reform, but he also made some notable mistakes.

  2. The aftermath of January 6

Trump won’t be able to rely solely on his presidency’s record in terms of policy. He will have to defend how he handled leaving office and his participation in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

It will be difficult to forget the pictures from that day, when Trump supporters ransacked the Capitol building and temporarily disrupted the peaceful transfer of power while waving Trump banners among the tear gas.

The midterm elections showed that what transpired on that day, as well as Mr. Trump’s remarks and deeds in the weeks prior, may still have an impact on voter behavior.

Numerous Republican candidates who openly backed Mr. Trump’s unwillingness to recognize the results of the 2020 election were defeated. Many of them performed worse than other Republican candidates in their states who were more subdued in their denial of winning the election.

 3. Problems with the law

One of the theories put forth as to why Mr. Trump seems so ready to run for president again is that it will help him portray his numerous criminal and civil investigations as being a part of a broader political vendetta.

While it might be effective in terms of public relations, Mr. Trump faces very significant legal risk in these situations.

The former president is currently defending himself against a criminal election tampering investigation in Georgia, a civil fraud case aimed at his business empire in New York, a defamation lawsuit involving a sexual assault allegation, and federal investigations into his role in the Capitol attack and his handling of classified information after leaving office.

4. A more challenging opponent

Eight years ago, as the Republican primary season got underway, Mr. Trump squared battle against a Florida governor who was widely regarded as the party’s overwhelming favourite. But Jeb Bush turned out to be a paper tiger.

A sizable campaign war chest and a well-known last name were insufficient. On immigration and education policy, he was out of sync with the Republican base. Additionally, the Bush name no longer had the sway it once did within the party.

In 2024, Mr. Trump might have to go through a Florida governor once more if he wants the nomination.

5. Problems with popularity

A conservative group issued a series of polls on the eve of Mr. Trump’s presidential announcement, showing Mr. Trump trailing Ron DeSantis by double digits among Republican voters in Iowa and New Hampshire in a head-to-head race.

Early in the Republican nomination process, those states hold elections.

In Florida and Georgia, where there will be a runoff for the Senate in December, Mr. DeSantis also held a 26 point and a 20 point lead, respectively. Mr. Trump’s ratings in each of these states were significantly lower than in earlier polls.