A former Trump adviser, Steve Bannon, on Saturday asserted that his ex-boss will run for president in 2024, although Trump himself is yet to make a definitive confirmation.
“Donald J. Trump is running again in 2024, there’s absolutely no doubt about that,” Bannon said, speaking on a Newsmax 'Spicer & Co' cable show hosted by Trump's first of four White House press secretaries, Sean Spicer.
Bannon made his claim after being asked about charges the Trump Organization is facing in New York state over tax crime, immediately suggesting the numerous indictments are a "plot" by Attorney General Letitia James to "stop" the former president.
“This is all a plot by the Attorney General Letitia James, the district attorney of New York because they couldn’t get President Trump on any of the other impeachments, any of the phony stuff. They had to trump up these charges for really, fringe benefits to employees over 15 years to try to stop him," Bannon asserted, adding, "They’re not going to stop him".
Bannon continued his attack on the state's legal process, saying that "this is only going to make the MAGA movement more determined", suggesting that the prosecution of the Trump Organization is "what happens in a third world country."
"This is what the Chinese Communist Party (does) to people when they get out of power", the former hedge fund manager claimed.
A supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up during his first post-presidency campaign rally at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington, Ohio, U.S., June 26, 2021.
© REUTERS / GAELEN MORSE
Bannon's assertions come as Trump remains secretive about plans for the 2024 presidential campaign, only hinting earlier that he had made his decision about running.
As Trump's next political moves remains to be seen, the Trump Organization CFO, Allen Weisselberg, following a tax probe, was recently indicted on 15 felony counts, which he has denied. Trump, following the indictment, said that the legal process was a "political witchhunt".