The field for the GOP presidential nomination is already brimming with candidates, and it’s only going to grow bigger as other contenders prepare to announce their candidacies in the coming weeks.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are expected to launch their presidential campaigns next week, entering a crowded pool of candidates seeking to challenge President Joe Biden in 2024. Former President Donald Trump remains the early front-runner in the primary race as he routinely outperforms every other candidate in the polls — prompting him to mock others for even attempting to run.
ONE QUESTION FOR TRUMP COULD DETERMINE THE RACE FOR THE 2024 GOP NOMINATION
“I don’t know why people are doing it. They’re at 1%. Some are at zero,” Trump told Fox News’s Sean Hannity on Thursday.
Trump specifically hit out against Christie, who is expected to announce his campaign on Tuesday in New Hampshire. Despite once being a close ally during his presidency, Trump has since turned on Christie after the former governor became one of his most outspoken critics.
“I hear Chris Christie’s coming in,” Trump said. “He’s at — he was at 6% in New Jersey, which is — I love New Jersey, but 6% approval rating in New Jersey. What’s the purpose? And he’s polling at zero.”
Trump also went on to criticize other former allies who have joined the fray to take him on in 2024, including former Arkansas Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
“This guy, nobody knows who the hell he is. Never good,” Trump said. “You know, it’s fine, but I don’t understand what they’re doing.”
National polling shows Trump far ahead of his challengers in hypothetical matchups, with the former president averaging 54.2% support among Republican voters, according to data from FiveThirtyEight. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) comes in at a distant second, polling at an average of 20.9%. All other candidates are in the single digits.
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“I really go after the one who’s second, and I think the one who’s second has gone down so much and so rapidly that I don’t think he’s going to be second that much longer,” Trump said, referring to DeSantis. “I think he’s going to be third or fourth.”
There are currently seven candidates running for the GOP nomination, including Trump, DeSantis, Hutchinson, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley, political commentator Larry Elder, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Christie and Pence are expected to announce their campaigns next week, and several other contenders are also considering a bid.
