Here’s where Trump’s GOP rivals stand on potential 2024 bids

Former President Trump kicked off the 2024 presidential election campaign season when he became the first major candidate to announce a White House bid just a week after the midterm elections.

Trump has been the unequivocal leader of the Republican Party since he was first elected president in 2016, but he has garnered blame from many opponents and allies for the party’s disappointing performance in the midterms.

Several noteworthy Republicans have hinted that they are considering running for president in the aftermath of the midterms and indicated a willingness to oppose Trump.

Here’s where other potential Republican 2024 presidential candidates stand in their possible White House bids.

Liz Cheney

Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) emerged as one of the top GOP critics of Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection and has served as the vice chairwoman of the House select committee investigating the attack and the former president’s role in it.

Cheney said after she lost her primary race to a Trump-backed challenger in August that she was “thinking about” running for president. She told Politico in an interview that she hadn’t decided whether her run would be in a Republican primary or as an independent.

The outgoing congresswoman said at The Washington Post’s Global Woman’s Summit last month that she is “confident” Trump will never be president again. She said in September that she will not remain in the party if Trump wins the Republican nomination.

Chris Christie

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was a Trump ally during the 2016 and 2020 elections but split with him after the end of the 2020 race and has become increasingly vocal about his opposition to Trump, most recently blaming the former president for the GOP’s performance in the midterms.

His recent remarks come after many Trump-backed candidates who were considered weaker general election choices lost in key races. Their defeats led to Democrats holding on to their majority in the Senate and Republicans winning only narrow control of the House.

Christie said during an appearance on “Real Time With Bill Maher” in October that he was not ruling out running for president a second time, his first being in 2016. He said at the time that he wanted to see what happens in the midterms to determine if a non-Trump candidate can win the nomination.

Ted Cruz

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was a chief opponent of Trump during the Republican primaries in 2016 but emerged as one of his closest allies in the Senate during his administration. However, Cruz has hinted that he will consider a challenge to Trump in 2024.

He said at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual meeting last month that he is running for a third term to the Senate in 2024 but punted on the question of whether he should be considered a possible presidential candidate, saying there will be “plenty of time” to discuss the election.

Ron DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has consistently placed in second in hypothetical GOP primary polls throughout this year, but polling…