If former President Donald Trump wants to return to the White House, his path to the presidency just got much easier.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-M.O., announced this week that he has no plans to run for president in 2024.
Hawley is a close ally of Trump and was considered one of the strongest early frontrunners for the next Republican presidential primary.
Hawley announced his plans during an interview on Fox News, clearing away a road block for Trump’s potential return.
“I’ve always said, Maria, that I’m not running for president,” Hawley told Maria Bartiromo on “Fox News Primetime.”
“It’s a privilege to represent the state of Missouri in the United States Senate. I just got elected barely two years ago,” Hawley said. “There’s a lot of work to do, and I look forward to continuing to fight for Missouri every day that I can.”
According to Fox News:
The firebrand senator was believed by some to be angling for higher office after he drew nationwide attention by standing up to Big Tech and retaliating against “conservative censorship” by proposing audacious bills to rein in their power.
Democratic senators turned on Hawley earlier this month after he challenged Electoral College results, alleging he had helped spur the deadly Capitol riot Jan. 6 and helped to “undermine” democracy. Some Democrats have called for the resignation of Hawley and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Fla., and some submitted an ethics complaint against him.
Beyond Trump, other potential GOP frontrunners include Sens. Marco Rubio, R-F.L., and Lindsay Graham, R.S.C.
The Horn editorial team