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Trump likely to announce his 2024 presidential run within weeks
Stating this, Kellyanne Conway, his 2016 campaign manager and close ally, said she had advised him to wait until after the midterms in November, according to Business Insider.
IANS | Washington | October 2: Former President Donald Trump “wants his old job back” and will announce within weeks his run for the presidency in 2024. Trump is eager to get back to the White House, and wants to announce his 2024 run in the coming weeks.Stating this, Kellyanne Conway, his 2016 campaign manager and close ally, said she had advised him to wait until after the midterms in November, according to Business Insider. .
Speaking on Friday with CBS News, Conway was asked whether Trump would announce his candidacy after the midterm elections and before Thanksgiving.
“Well, he would like to,” said Conway, as per CBS News. “He’s as active as anybody in these midterm elections. That’s important to the calculus also, Catherine, because we have the most ironic, if not unprecedented situation right now,” Conway continued.
“We have a president, a current president, whose party doesn’t really want him to campaign with them.” Trump will assess the timing of his announcement after the midterms, which take place on November 8, Conway said. “I will tell you why he wants to run for president,” she said. “Donald Trump wants his old job back.”
In July, Conway described Trump as “champing at the bit” to announce his third presidential bid. Speaking to CBS News, she said she advised him to wait until right after the midterms.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy also said he lobbied the former president not to announce a 2024 presidential run before the midterms. “My point to him has always (been), ‘Let’s go win ’22,'” McCarthy told reporters at the Capitol in July.That same month, a top Republican strategist told Insider that a pre-midterm announcement from Trump would be a “train wreck for the party” and “a complete mess.”
Meanwhile, how Democrats, who aren’t named Joe Biden, are running for president – without running for president. Joe Biden plans to seek reelection in 2024, even though voters are souring on him.Democrats aren’t expected to primary Biden, but questions linger about a backup plan. Would-be candidates have been seeking the national spotlight. President Joe Biden has been clear that he plans to run for a second term in 2024. His political team is even getting ready for a spring reelection announcement, according to the Washington Post.
But that hasn’t stopped the “will he really?” chatter, particularly after a New York Times poll found that 61 per cent of Democrats said they hoped someone other than Biden would be their nominee in 2024, largely because of his age and job performance.Democratic insiders are questioning whether Biden, 79, can mount a vigorous campaign in 2024 – especially if former President Donald Trump decides to run again.Despite the doubts, Biden is not expected to face a primary challenge given that it would alienate other people in the party as well as the donor class, said Mark Jones, Rice University (Houston, Texas) political science professor and Baker Institute fellow, the Insider said.
“The norm is that you do not challenge a sitting president from your party,” Jones said. “That’s a major political faux pas. It either isn’t done, or if it is done it’s done more for political ambition – not to actually win, but to put the spotlight on yourself for other reasons.”
A key factor helping Biden’s staying in power is Trump. The New York Times poll found that Biden would be favoured to win in another contest against Trump. “The belief is that if Biden beat Trump before, he can beat him again,” Jones said. If a Democrat were to try to primary Biden – and weaken him in the process – then that person would be blamed if a Republican, even Trump, were to win in 2024.But none of these factors rule out politicians’ making under-the-radar moves. If Biden somehow reverses his plans, that’ll mean the party will need to find a backup.
Some ways that candidates begin to test the field through “invisible primaries” are by campaigning for other Democrats to build loyalty, particularly in swing districts. They also may appear at events in potential early voting states and offer noncommittal responses about whether they’ll support Biden in 2024, said Shawn Donahue, a University at Buffalo (New York) assistant professor of political science.Other ways are through grabbing headlines through weighing in on national debates, holding leadership roles in the party, and raising huge sums particularly from out-of-staters. In the case of governors interested in the White House, they’ll need to crush the opposition if they’re up for reelection this year, in November, the Insider said.
“There will be a host of people who want to be waiting in the wings so the moment Biden says he’s not running they can sort of jump in,” Jones said. Even if Biden doesn’t change his mind, 2028 isn’t much further off. There are 15 politicians who are taking actions or gaining interest that might position them for a 2024 White House run if Biden changes his mind. And this includes the three top contenders, VP Kamala Harris, Florida Governor Gavin Newsom and senator Elizabeth.
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Opposition blames govt. inaction for severity of disaster impact
The government’s failure to act on expert warnings, including advance forecasts on Cyclone Ditwah, had led to the worsening of disaster impact, Udaya Gammanpila, leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya, said at a press conference in Colombo yesterday.
Gammanpila accused the NPP government of ignoring 14 key preventive measures, despite alerts from the Meteorology Department, foreign experts, and the media.
Gammanpila said the government had failed to lower the water levels in reservoirs, dredge estuaries, and deploy the armed forces for canal maintenance. Local government bodies were reportedly sidelined, and that led to a delay in cleaning of drains. He said the government had also failed to evacuate people in a timely manner from seven districts identified by the National Building Research Organisation as landslide-prone. It had delayed declaring emergencies or curfews and the deployment of tri-forces to evacuate people in such areas.
Gammanpila said an experienced public official should have been appointed as Secretary to the President to mobilise the state machinery swiftly during the disaster. He said the government had not convened the National Disaster Council.
“These failures worsened the disaster, causing immense hardship, disruption, and loss of life and property to the people,” Gammanpila said.
The government has denied the Opposition’s claims.
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National Archives seeks freezing capacity to ward off mould from vital water-damaged documents
The Department of National Archives Friday made an urgent appeal for freezing capacity to protect from mould vital water damaged documents, particularly irreplaceable public records of legal value saying this would be be time buying exercise before mould destroys them permanently.
Dr. Nadeera Rupesinghe, Director General of National Archives, said in the appeal that “freezing water-damaged documents stops mould growth and stabilizes materials until proper conservation treatment is possible. It buys time.
Without freezing capacity, we will lose vital records, land registries, court documents, historical records, and the evidence millions of citizens need to rebuild their lives.
“These public institutions urgently need access to freezer facilities and mobile freezers across the country. Public records as bound volumes, and bundled records have to be frozen in large quantities. We understand this is an extraordinary request during an already difficult time. We are asking you to provide space in existing freezer facilities on a temporary basis (weeks to months).”
She said if anybody able to provide such facilities without cost, in return, the National Archives can support full documentation of your contribution for CSR reporting and national recognition as a partner in preserving Sri Lanka’s evidentiary landscape.
“These are not abstract historical records. These are the records our citizens need to prove who they are, what they own, and what they are owed. What we stand to lose –
Court records and legal evidence spanning decades
Personnel files affecting pensions and benefits
Financial records required for audits and accountability
Public records essential for maintaining administrative history
Historical documents that tell our national story”
Noting that the business community has always been a partner in Sri Lanka’s development, the National Archives Department asked it to be partners in preserving the documentary foundation on which business, law, and civil society depend.
“Every land transaction, every contract, every court case relies on records. Help us save them,” Rupesinghe said.
If your organisation has freezing capacity you can make available, please immediately contact Mr Anuradha Adikaram, Senior Archivist on 077 6815551 (Available 24 hours) .
The department will coordinate connecting those who can assist with organisations that are searching for freezer facilities.
“Time is the enemy. Every hour without freezing capacity means more records lost to mould. Every day of delay means more families without proof of their homes, their citizenship, their rights. We are asking for freezers, but we are really asking you to help preserve the documentary infrastructure of our nation,” Rupesinghe said.
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Met Dept. issues fresh weather warning
The Department of Meteorology has warned that rainfall is expected to increase across the country in the coming days as the southwest monsoon becomes more active. From Tuesday, monsoon conditions are expected to persist, with stronger winds likely.
Rainfall is predicted to intensify on Dec. 10, 11, and 12, potentially affecting the Northern, North-Central, Northwestern, Eastern, and Uva provinces, with thunderstorms and rainfall between 75 and 100 mm, Director General of Meteorology Athula Karunanayake said.
Karunanayake added that other areas, including the southeastern region, could also see rain during the day or night, as a disturbance in the Bay of Bengal may further influence the monsoon.
He cautioned that heavy rain would be accompanied by strong winds, creating rough sea conditions. Fishermen and maritime communities are urged to exercise caution and follow official advisories during this period.
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