What is the logical time for a president to start campaigning for his reelection? The answer is probably not four weeks into the first term, especially when information is leaking faster than a sinking ship and the administration actually is a sinking ship helmed by white supremacists who are taking decades of goodwill with foreign allies, progress in civil rights, and America’s national security along with them. But on Wednesday, Donald Trump announced that he’s kicking off his 2o2o campaign at a rally in Florida on Saturday evening.
The New York Times stipulates that this tour is more about Donald Trump’s ego than his desire to win, writing that he “is eager to get outside of Washington and relive the rapturous reception that greeted him during the presidential campaign.” This will be Trump’s third weekend in Florida since he entered office.
Another benefit of hosting a rally, according to the Campaign Legal Center’s Larry Noble: Billed as a campaign rally, Trump gets more control over press and guess access than he would for a White House event.
Of course, the early bid is also about money. You may recall that, in a characteristically audacious move, Trump filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission for his re-election campaign on Inauguration Day. As the Times explains, this allowed him to continue accepting proceeds from campaign merchandise, like those stupid red hats. His next slogan will be “Keep America Great!” or “Keep America Great,” a message he will be spreading while simultaneously trying to “Make America Great Again.”