Now that Donald Trump's path to the 2024 Republican nomination is that much more inevitable after Gov. Ron DeSantis's (R-Fla.) departure from the race, another thing we can discuss and speculate while watching the current election is what may happen in the 2028 election.
The 2024 election is obviously more urgent since a Democrat victory would mean that there might not even be a 2028 election, but assuming Trump does win, it will be his last term. The future primaries will undoubtedly see multiple candidates vying for both parties' nominations.
One potential Republican candidate is Donald Trump, Jr. During a campaign event before the Iowa Caucus, Don Jr. was asked if he had any ideas for running in 2028.
RawStory provided the following answer:
"Listen, you never know. I don't want to say no because then if you decide to do it like, oh my god, he's a major liar," Trump replied. "You know, people, the reality is this, like, I never needed this. Right? But I believe in it."
Additionally, Don Jr. said that while he would probably be a better asset to the conservative cause outside of political office and that he has to "play by the rules," he did not necessarily give a firm "no."
2028 may be a long way off, and we might not even have an election by then if the Dems win (God forbid), but I will be the first to question the idea of an immediate Trump dynasty in the White House.
That all hinges on whether Don Jr. does run in 2028, which would require him to win. He pretty much has a ready-built base of support should this happen, barring Trump Sr. doing something during his second term that would cause him to lose his following.
Even then, you know that Trump Derangement Syndrome will be hereditary in the sense that the left will express the same psychotic hatred for the son that they do for the father, and they could very well try to screw over Don Jr. like they are doing to Trump Sr. now.
Moreover, the mainstream media will endlessly harp on the fact that Republicans have all but disavowed the Bushes yet have no problem with putting Don Jr. in right after his father.
"At least Clinton got between Bush 41 and Bush 43," you can already hear them saying, just as there were 4 Presidents between John Adams and John Quincy, and 14 between William Henry Harrison and his grandson Benjamin Harrison (William Henry died in a month, so that does not really count for much).
Thus Don Jr. running right after his father might be viewed as hypocritical since Trump Sr. ran in 2016 as the anti-establishment guy and is seeking to dismantle it in his second term.
For Our VIPs: Trump 47: The Revenge Term?
While a new establishment will create itself over time, voters are frustrated with the one we have right now, hence the possible perception of hypocrisy by Don Jr. to run so closely after Trump Sr.'s second term in office, since it could be viewed as trying to create a new one immediately.
This is not to say I will never vote for him in a future election or that I dislike him. Instead, while the Republican Party may be largely under Trump Sr.'s sway now and could very well be for a while, the current political mood may not be so welcome to Don Jr. wanting to try and take the White House immediately after his father, even if he will have to campaign for it.
Perhaps, much like DeSantis had to learn the hard way, Don Jr. should wait until the political wind is blowing differently before he jumps on the campaign trail.
