Former President Donald Trump has reportedly floated the idea of starting his own political party amid struggles within the Republican Party.
Speaking with some of his allies, Trump discussed breaking away from the Republican Party to launch his own, which would be called the “Patriot Party,” according to the Wall Street Journal (pay wall).
It is not clear how serious Trump is about starting this new party, but it would likely attract a lot of support from his base if it does become a reality.
Trump has also talked about running for the presidency again in 2024, though talk about another run died down after the Jan. 6 Capitol siege.
Senate Republicans are also considering barring Trump from ever holding office again by convicting him during the Senate’s impeachment trial, which is set to take place some time after Trump is out of office.
Trump did hint that this won’t be the last Americans see of him during his send-off speech on Wednesday.
“We will be back in some form,” he said before boarding Air Force One for Florida.
Many congressional Republicans signaled before the Capitol riot that they would support Trump if he did decide to reenter politics.
“If he were to run in 2024, I think he would be the nominee,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said in December. “And I would support him doing that. He’d have a lot of support out in the country.”
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., agreed: “It’d be great if he ran. He’s done a good job. I think he ought to run if he wants to run. Who knows what’s going to happen in ‘24? He can sell the things he’s accomplished.”
Things have changed, however, since the Capitol riot. Before Jan. 6, Trump was considering launching his 2024 campaign on Inauguration Day. Now he has been hesitant to mention his future plans.
“It’s been a great honor, the honor of a lifetime. The greatest people in the world, the greatest home in the world,” he said on Wednesday. “We love the American people, and again, it has been something very special. And I just want to say goodbye but hopefully it’s not a long term goodbye. We’ll see each other again.”
