Ian Explains: Trump's Republican competition

It’s hard to believe, but the 2024 race for US president is already kicking off. With months to go before the first primary ballots are cast, the candidates are already jockeying for position, Ian Bremmer explains on GZERO World.

President Joe Biden’s announced his re-election campaign in April, and his nomination on the Democratic side is a foregone conclusion. But on the Republican side, the race is a lot more interesting.

Right now, the candidate to beat is undoubtedly Donald Trump. He’s polling higher among Republican primary voters than any of his competitors. He has a ton of cash on hand, and virtually no one within the party is willing to criticize him publicly for fear of alienating his base. If Trump is the nominee, Republicans may have to fight an uphill battle because they did not do well in the 2018, 2020, or 2022 elections when Trump dominated the conversation.

But if contenders like Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, or Mike Pence secure the nomination, the election becomes a referendum on Biden’s job as president. With the president’s approval rating hovering in the high 30s, or low 40s, that might be a much easier battle for the GOP to try and fight.

Watch this episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer: Republican identity crisis: Chris Christie vs. Donald Trump