Former U.S President, Donald Trump is in a race to pull off what Grover Cleveland successfully achieved years ago, that is, winning back the White House from the opponent who took it from him.
Grover Cleveland, the U.S’ 22nd and 24th President, is the only President in U.S. history to serve two non-consecutive terms.
Both Trump and President Joe Biden have won their respective party’s nominations, clearing any doubt that the upcoming U.S presidential elections will be a rematch between the two.
The last presidential rematch came in 1956, when Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower again defeated Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic opponent he had four years prior.
Biden, who had no serious competition in his party, reached the required 1,968-delegate threshold to be nominated.
On the other hand, Trump, whose last rival Nikki Haley withdrew from the race last week, also passed the mark of 1,215 delegates needed.
Both will be officially nominated at their party’s conventions in August and July, respectively.
In a statement, Biden celebrated the nomination while casting Trump as a serious threat to democracy, accusing him of “running a campaign of resentment, revenge, and retribution that threatens the very idea of America”.
Trump, in a video posted on social media, celebrated what he called “a great day of victory”.
“But now we have to get back to work because we have the worst president in the history of our country,” Trump said of Biden. “So, we’re not going to take time to celebrate. We’ll celebrate in eight months when the election is over.”
Referring to Biden, Brendon O’Connor, a professor at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, noted that the history of U.S elections shows that an incumbent President would not be challenged if he decided to run again for the presidency.
“Once you’ve won a presidential election once, you’d want to win it twice and be a two-term President,” he told a news agency.
“That’s usually a mark of success. So, Biden, despite being 81 years old, I think would want that place in the history,” he said.
Also, he opined that it was “remarkable” that the Republican Party put Trump forward for a third election in a row after losing the last contest to Biden.
He told the news agency, “Usually, that’s a sign that you should look for a new candidate.”
“I think that [Trump] brings fear to his colleagues [in the Republican Party], challenging him is very hard because of his bullying, name-calling way. His supporters are incredibly loyal and vicious against those who challenge Trump within the party,” he said.
Contest Between Two “Unpopular” Options
Opinion polls suggest that many voters do not want either nominee. As such, the road ahead will not be easy for either Trump or Biden.
Biden, 81, already the oldest President in US history, is working to assure a skeptical electorate that he is still physically and mentally able to thrive in the position.
If elected, Biden would be 86 years old at the end of his next term.
Aside the age debate, Voters in both parties are unhappy with Biden’s handling of immigration and inflation.
He is also dealing with additional dissension within his party’s progressive base, who are furious that he has not done more to stop Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
On the other hand, the 77-year-old Trump is facing 91 felony counts in four criminal cases, involving his handling of classified documents and his attempt to overturn the 2020 election, among other alleged crimes.
Their rematch will almost certainly deepen the country’s political and cultural divides over the eight months that lie ahead until the November 5 election.
November 5, 2024, will tell if Trump will become Grover Cleveland or Biden will retain his seat.
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