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- Former President Donald Trump said that he would "probably" announce his 2024 plans after the midterms.
- "I think a lot of people will be very happy, frankly, with the decision," he told Fox News.
- When asked about a potential running mate, Trump said that there are "a lot of great people" in the GOP.
Former President Donald Trump said in a Fox News interview published on Monday that he will "probably" hold off on announcing whether he intends to launch a 2024 presidential campaign until after next year's midterm elections.
Trump, who was defeated for reelection by President Joe Biden, has teased a presidential run for months, notably during the multiple rallies that he has continued to hold across the country in support of Republican candidates.
"I am certainly thinking about it and we'll see," Trump said during the interview. "I think a lot of people will be very happy, frankly, with the decision, and probably will announce that after the midterms."
However, the former president also stated that he wouldn't commit to standing by a set timeline.
"It doesn't mean I will," Trump told Fox News of the timing for his potential White House announcement. "It's probably appropriate, but a lot of people are waiting for that decision to be made."
Trump went on to say that "a lot of great people who are thinking about running are waiting for that decision, because they're not going to run if I run."
"We have a lot, they're all very well named," he said of the GOP presidential aspirants awaiting his decision. "But almost all of them said if I run, they'll never run. And that's nice, primarily because it shows a great degree of loyalty and respect."
When asked about a potential running mate, the former president expressed that there are "a lot of great people in the Republican Party," with no direct mention of former Vice President Mike Pence, his governing partner of four years. The pair clashed in the final days of Trump's presidency after Pence certified Biden's 2020 Electoral College win.
When asked about the prospect of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis being tapped for a potential ticket, Trump praised the Sunshine State politician, but reiterated that he would have a wide range of options.
"He's a good man, but we have a lot of great people," the former president said. "He's been good."
When Nikki Haley, the former US ambassador to the United Nations and South Carolina governor, was floated as an option, Trump offered a mixed assessment of the onetime member of his administration, saying that she "every once in a while goes off the rails, and she comes back, which is nice."
"She said she'd never run if I ran, which I think is a good sign of respect," Trump said. "I was very good to her, I thought she did a very good job at what she did with the United Nations. She did an excellent job."
"But we have, there are so many people that are really good that would be great for that. So, you know, it's very early to be talking about it, " he added.
In April, Haley said that she would not run for president in 2024 if Trump decided to launch a campaign, only weeks after she told Politico that the former president's conduct after his election loss would "be judged harshly by history."
Last month, Haley told The Wall Street Journal that the Trump administration left behind a "strong legacy."
"He has the ability to get strong people elected, and he has the ability to move the ball, and I hope that he continues to do that," she told the news outlet. "We need him in the Republican Party. I don't want us to go back to the days before Trump."
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