Won't-run-if-Trump-runs question leads to waiting game for likely 2024 candidates
CNN
Donald Trump's wait-and-see approach to the 2024 election has frozen the next Republican presidential primary before it's even begun.
As each rumored 2024 candidate navigates the uncertainty of another Trump bid -- deciding if they should publicly acknowledge their presidential ambitions or keep their head down until he makes a decision -- their potential opponents are paying close attention to the degree of loyalty they show the former President.
Some likely 2024 contenders are creating campaigns-in-waiting — hiring trusted advisers, meeting with donors and visiting all-important primary states despite knowing it could all be for nothing if the former President enters the race. On Wednesday, for instance, former Vice President Mike Pence is set to travel to New Hampshire to mingle with GOP donors at a fundraiser for state Republicans and critique the Biden administration in a speech hosted by conservative activism group Heritage Action. Notably, Pence has not said he would refrain from challenging his former boss in the next presidential primary.