WASHINGTON, D.C. — Despite a disappointing apparent loss in this year's presidential election, we might not have seen the end of Donald Trump's political career.
Many close advisers are saying that Trump will continue to be a presence nationally. What shape that could be - from television personality to a return to politics - is not known.
Throughout his campaign, he was able to grab the attention of his supporters with a raucous series of rallies that drew supporters by the thousands. Political allies expect Trump will be using his politial capital to shape future policies for the Republican party.
"He's going to continue to play a significant role in the Republican Party," Rick Gates, an aide to Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, told USA Today. “He’ll have that locked up for at least the next few years."
Gates expects Trump to "seriously consider" another run for the presidency in 2024.
Trump now has joined a list of former presidents like Herbert Hoover, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush, who lost re-election bids after one term.
But Mick Mulvaney, who previously served as Trump's chief of staff before become the U.S. envoy to Norther Ireland, told the Institute for International and European Affairs that Trump will lead the race for the Republican nomination in 2024.
"Now, I think folks are starting to realise that if Donald Trump loses, he might be the guy, and I'm telling you absolutely," Mulvaney said in comments that were reported by Business Insider. "I would absolutely expect the president to stay involved in politics and would absolutely put him on a shortlist of people who are likely to run in 2024. He doesn't like losing."
