Donald Trump Knows ‘There’s No Chance He’ll Be Convicted’ But Probably Won’t Run Again In 2024, Report Says

Since leaving the White House and being replaced by Joe Biden, Donald Trump has made an effort to avoid the spotlight, apparently retreating to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

According to a Saturday report from Newsweek, the former president became more optimistic about his political future after realizing that Senate Democrats don’t have the votes to convict him in the impeachment trial.

The House of Representatives impeached Trump for inciting an insurrection against the U.S. government, claiming that he directed a violent group of his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol building on January 6 and prevent Congress from certifying Electoral College votes for the 2020 presidential election.

Earlier this week, Republican Party Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky introduced a motion that declared it unconstitutional to impeach a former commander-in-chief. Only five Republicans opposed the measure, which suggested that Democrats simply don’t have the votes to convict.

Trump was “gratified,” supposedly because “that’s certainly his view: that it’s unfair and unconstitutional, and he knows it means there’s no chance he’ll be convicted,” an individual familiar with his thinking said, adding that he now feels confident that the trial will actually backfire on his political opponents.

Those in Trump’s orbit have reportedly separated into two camps. Individuals like lawyer Rudy Giuliani and former chief White House political strategist Steve Bannon allegedly believe that the former president should aggressively defend himself against Democrats’ charges and prove that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Trump’s daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and others, meanwhile, reportedly believe that he should simply let the trial play out — since he most likely won’t be convicted anyway — and focus his efforts elsewhere.

Though Trump is reportedly thinking about his future, he does not seem to be interested in running again in 2024, according to the report. He previously suggested that he would like to launch a comeback campaign in four years, but the backlash to the January 6 riots seems to have changed his mind.

This does not mean he will stay on the sidelines, according to one person briefed on the matter, who said that Trump may seek to handpick his successor.

“Should he not run, could I see him giving his full backing to a Trump-like successor? Sure,” the person was quoted as saying.

It remains unclear who might that be, but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appears to be a top contender. Trump admires DeSantis and thinks he is “smart as hell,” per a person familiar with his thinking.