Trump announces campaign for presidency

Former President Donald Trump announced last night that he’s running for president again. The announcement was met with a range of responses, especially within the Republican party. Here now to consider the ramifications of Trump’s candidacy, we welcome Political Consultant Jim Heath.

Heath’s thoughts

“Well it’s almost like the Twilight Zone. Just days after a mega blowout, not just in Arizona but across the country, where we saw Donald Trump’s handpicked candidates who came through the primaries only to get defeated in the general election,” said Heath.

“His reading from that was I need to get back into presidential race. It’s a bit surreal, and it really leaves the Republican Party in quite a difficult position as I see it,” he explained.

Is Trump strong enough to continue?

“At the grass root level, where elections are decided particularly primary elections, they love him. It’s almost a cult-like figure head in many ways. They are loyal to him; Ronald Reagan won 49 states in 1984 but we never dreamed of flying his flag where to American flag is usually at,” explained Heath.

“They have to make a decision on whether there is one alternative that they can agree upon, if DeSantis gets in will everyone else stay out, because if they don’t we’ll have 2016 all over again in a competitive primary,” he said.

Is this good news for Democrats?

“I think for sure it’s good news; I think it’s everything that the Democrats want. They want one more go around with Donald Trump at the top of the ticket. Keep in mind he barely won in 2016; we’re talking about 70-something thousand votes in five states in total that tipped the electoral college his way against Hillary Clinton,” said Heath.

“I do think from Trump’s standpoint it makes all the sense in the world, but it leaves the Republican party in a really, really difficult situation,” he said.