Eight Republicans who could challenge Trump in 2024

The possibility of a crowded GOP presidential primary in 2024 has grown likelier in recent days following reports that former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is gearing up to officially announce a White House bid later this month.

Former President Trump is the only high-profile Republican who has formally announced a presidential campaign, but he’s ramped up rhetoric in recent days against several widely floated 2024 contenders, including Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) — both of whom could be formidable challengers to the former president.

Here’s a look at eight Republicans likely to challenge Trump in 2024:

Nikki Haley

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley is set to announce her 2024 presidential bid Feb. 15 after months of speculation that she would throw her hat in the ring. (AP Photo/Ryan Collerd)

Haley, a former two-term South Carolina governor and former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., is expected to formally announce on Feb. 15 that she’ll be running for president, The Hill confirmed this week. 

Haley has long teased speculation that she might throw her hat in the ring, including during an interview with Fox News last month in which she said that “when you are looking at the future of America, I think it’s time for new generational change.”

Trump responded to the news by taunting his former administration official.

“Nikki has to follow her heart, not her honor. She should definitely run!” he wrote on Truth Social, including an older clip of her saying she would not run in 2024 if Trump did.

Ron DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has been quiet so far about his plans for 2024, though the governor’s advisers are reportedly looking into possible campaign staff picks should he launch a presidential bid. (Associated Press)

The Florida governor has been coy about his possible 2024 presidential plans, though he notably refused to commit to serving out a full four-year term as governor when asked about it during a debate in the lead-up to the Florida gubernatorial race. 

Behind the scenes, though, advisers for DeSantis are reportedly in the process of contacting possible staff picks should he go forward with a bid of his own. 

While DeSantis has avoided trading barbs with Trump, who has stepped up his attacks on the governor, he made a point to emphasize his resounding reelection when asked by a reporter about the former president’s recent criticism of him.

“I’m happy to say, you know, in my case, not only did we win reelection. We won with the highest percentage of the vote that any Republican governor candidate has in the history of the state of Florida,” the Florida Republican said. “We won by the largest raw vote margin — over 1.5 million votes — than any governor candidate has ever had in Florida history.”

Mike Pence

Former Vice President Pence has been increasing public appearances in recent months while promoting his memoir and backing candidates leading up to the November midterms. (Associated Press)

Trump’s former vice president is also weighing a possible presidential run, telling The Hill in an exclusive interview last month that he would continue traveling across the country and make a decision “in the months ahead.”

Pence has been traveling around the U.S. to promote his memoir, “So Help Me God,” and book tours often serve as a prelude to announcing larger political aspirations. He also noticeably waded into the November midterms, backing more centrist and establishment-leaning Republicans like Arizona gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson and Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleefisch, though both lost to Trump’s picks.

More recently, Pence has been embroiled in news that the FBI is reportedly searching his residence in Indiana again in addition to his Washington, D.C., office after his team alerted federal officials previously that they had found some classified documents at his home.

Mike Pompeo

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has teased that he will make his plans for 2024 known this spring. (Getty)

The former secretary of State said in December that he’ll announce his possible presidential plans in the spring, but he’s already made moves suggesting he’s signaling a White House bid. 

In recent months, Pompeo has spoken at the presidential campaign mainstay “Politics & Eggs” series in New Hampshire; released his own memoir, “Never Give an Inch”; and taken a few shots at the former president. 

“We were told we’d get tired of winning. But I’m tired of losing. And so are most Republicans,” Pompeo tweeted in November, after the GOP performed worse than expected during the November midterms, mocking Trump’s “tired of winning” phrase.

Tim Scott

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) announced that he will launch a listening tour that will take him to South Carolina and Iowa, two early presidential primary and caucus states. (Associated Press)

Scott, a senator from South Carolina, is rolling out a “Faith in America” listening tour, which will include stops and speaking arrangements in South Carolina and Iowa — both early presidential primary and caucus states. The tour will only add to rising speculation that he’s considering launching a bid of his own.

The chamber’s only Black GOP senator, Scott often points to his personal story as someone who was raised by a single parent living in poverty who now serves in the halls of Congress. Among the issues that Scott has worked on, he’s most notably been the negotiator of police reform legislation from the Senate GOP side; a possible police reform bill being negotiated between him, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and former Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), however, fell through last year.

Larry Hogan

Larry Hogan, the former Maryland governor who has been one of former President Trump’s most vocal critics, has recently leaned into speculation that he will run for president in 2024. (Greg Nash)

Hogan, the former Republican governor of Maryland, told Fox News in an interview this week that he’s giving “very serious consideration” to the thought of jumping into the 2024 White House race. He has previously said that he’s considering a bid of his own and has been one of Trump’s most fervent critics. 

Hogan taunted Trump during an interview following the November midterms, telling CBS News, “My side of the party had a really good night. Trump’s side did not,” a reference to centrist Republicans who performed better than more far-right candidates during the elections. 

During an interview on conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt’s show this week, he initially said he would support whomever the presidential nominee turned out to be on the Republican side, suggesting he would support Trump if he ended up in that position, but later clarified those comments to say he wouldn’t back the former president.

Glenn Youngkin

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s (R) victory over former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) in the state’s 2021 gubernatorial race sparked excitement about the governor’s future plans within the Republican party. (Associated Press)

Republicans saw Youngkin’s upset victory over former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial race as a bright spot for the party in a state that has trended blue in recent years. Youngkin made education — including concerns over critical race theory and parent’s rights in school — a key component of his campaign and one that some candidates like Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) sought to replicate during their own campaigns.

Youngkin campaigned with GOP gubernatorial candidates like Lombardo, former Oregon state Sen. Christine Drazan in the Beaver State’s governor’s race and Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, raising speculation that the Virginia governor might have higher aspirations past the governor’s mansion. 

Asa Hutchinson 

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) confirmed late last year that he is seriously considering a 2024 presidential run. (Getty)

The former Arkansas governor said in November that he was looking “very seriously” at a possible White House bid during an interview with “CNN This Morning” host Kaitlan Collins and told her that he was aiming to make his decision in January. 

A Trump critic, he said in December that it would be the GOP’s “worst scenario” if the former president ran again and said last month that “Jan. 6 really disqualifies him for the future.” Last year, he delivered remarks at the presidential campaign mainstay “Politics & Eggs” New Hampshire event.