“Donald Trump’s fundraising committee has hired two political operatives familiar with campaigns in Iowa, the state that typically kicks off the race for the White House, signaling his interest in running in 2024. An aide with Save America, the leadership political action committee that Trump began after losing the 2020 election, told staff and advisers in a memo Thursday that Eric Branstad and Alex Latcham are joining as senior advisers” Bloomberg reports.
“A Save America spokesman, Taylor Budowich, confirmed the hires and said Latcham and Branstad will help on ‘many political matters.’ Trump has been hinting about another presidential bid, even as he has tried to steer clear of activities that would trigger federal election laws that would require him to register as a candidate – and limit spending. Some Republicans had been hoping that Trump would fade away, as he continues to falsely claim he won last year’s election. Both Latcham and Branstad are Iowa natives with deep experience in the caucuses that have led off the presidential nominating contests. Latcham was Trump’s Iowa political director during the 2016 general election campaign then was deputy political director in the Trump White House. Branstad was Trump’s state director in Iowa in 2016, then a senior White House adviser at the Commerce Department. During the 2020 Trump re-election campaign, Branstad was senior advisor in Iowa.”