Drudge mocked for ‘shock announcement’ on Trump’s 2020 reelection plans

Matt Drudge, the founder of the conservative news aggregator site Drudge Report, was mocked across social media on Tuesday after tweeting out an all-caps “shock announcement” which turned out to be about President Trump’s intention to run for reelection in 2020.

Trump had filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on the day of his inauguration in January 2017 and has often talked about being in office for eight years since winning the election.

Drudge was targeted with a number of amused reactions from other media members on Twitter regarding his “shock” characterization. 

Trump filed the paperwork to be an official candidate for re-election on Inauguration Day. https://t.co/OTfzP4BIHH

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 27, 2018

Shock announcement? Drudge says Pres Trump is Running in #2020, Brad Parscale will Be campaign manager —> pic.twitter.com/jojXrotxXL

— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) February 27, 2018

a) didn’t we already know this and b) what on earth is the definition of a world exclusive https://t.co/XggGHD4Iwg

— kelly cohen (@politiCOHEN_) February 27, 2018

DRUDGE: **WORLD EXCLUSIVE** TUE FEB 27 2018 10:05 AM ET** Just one year into his presidency, Trump will stun the political world by announcing he is running for re-election in 2020. Digital guru Brad Parscale will be named campaign manager, DRUDGE REPORT has learned…

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) February 27, 2018

Perspective: @realDonaldTrump opened a 2020 re-election campaign 13 months ago, has held several campaign rallies & has a re-election campaign fundraiser Saturday in Palm Beach @DRUDGE_REPORT pic.twitter.com/5NOTRl3dBL

— George Bennett (@gbennettpost) February 27, 2018

**WORLD EXCLUSIVE** TUE FEB 27 2018 10:05 AM ET** Just two hours into his morning, Christopher Ingraham will stun the political world by announcing he is changing out of sweatpants and into jeans or maybe a loose-fitting pair of khakis.

— Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) February 27, 2018

I mean, Drudge only 13 months behind https://t.co/Rd1o0R41UR pic.twitter.com/B80lWHzp7e

— Alex Seitz-Wald (@aseitzwald) February 27, 2018

Trump is running for reelection? That’s it? Man. You can’t even trust a Drudge siren to be interesting anymore.

— Stephen Gutowski (@StephenGutowski) February 27, 2018

Also according to Drudge, the president will turn to former digital adviser Brad Parscale as his campaign manager.

Parscale, 42, is currently leading a pro-Trump outside group called America First Policies.

The decision to leak the news to Drudge, a staunch supporter of the president who has reportedly been to the White House on multiple occasions since Trump took office, appears to indicate the White House is looking to energize his base ahead of midterm elections in the fall that show Democrats having a chance to win back Congress.

The president is also under the cloud of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s election interference and any potential collusion with the Trump campaign. The investigation is about to enter its tenth month.

It’s not clear where or when Trump will hold a rally to make the announcement personally.