There was a whiff of nostalgia in the air as Donald Trump’s old guard got ready for their boss’s return to a capital he once presided over.
The stage was set by the former president’s senior aides, a volley away from the White House, in a ballroom at a luxury Washington hotel. The main event: a keynote speech on Tuesday afternoon for the America First Policy Institute, which could be the moment Trump announces he’s running for president again in 2024.
To his supporters, it’s not really about the if, but the when.
A lot will depend on the mood and the man’s own unpredictable temperament. Are the crowds big enough? Inside on Monday, there were about 600 people, including Trump administration alums who exchanged hugs, handshakes and deep laughs.
Trump has not been back to Washington for 18 months — after he fled to Florida following a 2020 defeat he refused to accept and the backlash from a mob storming the Capitol building in his name. Mario Parker and Diego Areas Munhoz preview the former president’s return.
Photographer: Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg
Trump speaks during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa, Fla., on Saturday.
As Trump considers when to announce his candidacy for president in 2024, he faces a costly quandary. As head of the Save America political action committee, he controls $103 million, making him the Republican Party kingmaker. Once he declares a run — moving from kingmaker to possible king — federal…
