Trump, potential GOP presidential candidates speak at RJC event in Vegas

Former President Donald Trump, who recently announced his 2024 presidential bid, will likely face some tough Republican challengers if the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Annual Leadership Meeting at The Venetian this weekend was any indication. Although the 2022 midterms are not over — with states still canvassing votes and Georgia’s U.S. Senate race scheduled for a runoff in December — Democrats and Republicans have started preparing for the 2024 presidential elections. Republican figureheads toying with the idea of running against Trump spoke to hundreds of attendees this weekend about their visions for the country, the importance of the country’s alliance with Israel and how the Republican Party can be more successful in future elections. Some of Trump’s potential challengers took swings at the former president — such as that he tweeted too much as president or touted false claims of election fraud — and received cheering, applause and standing ovations from the crowd, signaling a different path some Republicans want to take with the party’s leadership in 2024.

Rather than criticizing his potential opponents, Trump, speaking via livestream Saturday, highlighted his accomplishments to help the Jewish community, including opening an American embassy in Jerusalem, withdrawing from the nuclear deal with Iran and signing the Abraham Accords to create peace. “Under my administration we fought for Israel and the Jewish community like no president in history,” Trump said, receiving a standing ovation from the audience. “We better hope that a certain person wins the election in 2024,” said Trump, who also touted false claims that the 2020 election was “rigged” against him. Big names such as Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz, Kevin McCarthy, Chris Christie and Mike Pence appeared in person. On Friday, speakers included Pence, Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland. Trump was the “pil” in the room, meaning “elephant” in Hebrew, said Ari Fleischer, the former White House press secretary for President George W. Bush and current media consultant and political aide. As a former president, he has a lot of strength, Fleischer said, but a lot of people are still ”shopping” for what kind of candidate they want to run for president in 2024.