How Donald Trump’s 2024 Campaign Bounced Back

Donald Trump spent the final months of 2022 reeling from electoral setbacks and media disasters. Many of his high-profile endorsements in the midterm elections flopped. His attacks on popular GOP governors in Florida, Virginia, Ohio, and Georgia did little damage to their reputations. His 2024 campaign launch was a snooze. His infamous and inexcusable dinner at Mar-a-Lago with high-profile antisemites put him on the political fringe. By the end of last year, Trump appeared to be fading from the national conversation. His chances of winning the Republican nomination seemed to dim.

Now those chances are brightening. Trump continues to dominate in polls of Republicans. He’s drawn even with President Biden in head-to-head matchups. He lobbied successfully for Representative Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) to become speaker of the House of Representatives. His loyalists on the House Judiciary, Oversight, and Weaponization of the Federal Government committees will be sure to advance his interests. He’s plotting his return to Facebook, Instagram, and possibly Twitter, and his connection with the Republican base remains strong…