The Former US President Donald Trump considered Saturday that the 2024 presidential election would be the last chance to save the United States, as he seeks to revive his hopes in his third faltering attempt so far to reach the White House.
Faced with unfavorable political and legal conditions, the 76-year-old Trump addressed hundreds of his supporters at a rally in Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, after addressing Republican activists in Salem, New Hampshire.
“The 2024 election is our last chance to save our country and we need a leader who is ready to do this from day one,” Trump said from a podium, surrounded by American flags and some of his most loyal political allies.
“There’s only one president who has challenged the entire establishment in Washington, and with your vote next year, we will do it again,” he added in South Carolina.
“We need a leader who is ready to confront the forces that wreak havoc on our country,” he said hours before a crowd of hundreds of people in Salem.
The rallies are seen as an opportunity for Trump to revitalize his faltering campaign, amid criticism for not holding events since announcing in November his intention to run in the 2024 election.
But the former president did not introduce any noticeable change in his rhetoric, repeating his claims that the 2020 elections were stolen from him and insulting his political rivals.
However, his most prominent criticism was directed against Republican opponents, whom he considered more dangerous than the Democrats.
He also praised in New Hampshire his record in law enforcement, imposing order, combating immigration and rebuilding the US military, vowing to save the country from destruction at the hands of a selfish, radical and corrupt political establishment.
“I am more angry now and more committed than ever,” Trump continued.
The former real estate mogul is the only high-profile figure to announce his presidential candidacy so far, but several prominent Republicans have raised the possibility of Republican challengers amid reports of waning public support for the former president.
The two states are of great importance as they are among the first states in which primary elections for women are held.
The two states cemented Trump’s place as the frontrunner in 2016 after a tepid start in Iowa.
However, he is reported to be struggling to maintain a base of support in South Carolina, given his endorsement of defeated candidates in November’s midterm elections.
And it could end up in a race between Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the Republican ticket.
DeSantis came out on top in a poll at the National Pro Life Summit in Washington last weekend.
However, polls at this early stage of the race do not always give a clear picture of the scene, as some results showed Trump’s superiority over DeSantis, and others showed the opposite result.
The biggest hurdle in Trump’s path to the Republican nomination appears to be his mounting legal troubles, with a special investigator appointed to look into numerous allegations of misconduct.
“These are far-left prosecutors and they are absolutely horrible people,” Trump said in New Hampshire, vowing to investigate the activities of the Justice Department if he is re-elected.
His dealings with confidential documents that were found during the FBI search of his residence in Florida, his role in storming the Congressional Building in 2021, and his attempts to overturn the results after his defeat in the state of Georgia in the 2020 elections are being highlighted.
The former US president in South Carolina added, “We need a fighter who can stand up to the left… stand up to the media, stand up to the deep state… stand up to globalists and China, and stand up for America.”
“This is what we do, we defend America,” Trump added.
