Former US president Donald Trump is expected to officially launch another White House bid on Tuesday, refusing calls from within his own Republican Party to fade away after his loyalists underperformed in this year's midterm elections.
The 76-year-old billionaire, whose 2016 win shocked America and the world, has summoned the press to his Florida mansion for a "very big announcement" at 9:00 pm Tuesday (0200 GMT Wednesday).
"President Trump is going to announce on Tuesday that he's running for president," said one of his advisors, Jason Miller.
He said the speech would be "very professional, very buttoned up" although he expected a large group of supporters to be there, waving
placards.
Known for his unpredictability, Trump could still change his mind at the last minute, but for months he has barely hidden his desire to vie for the presidency again in 2024.
And delaying the announcement now, as some of his advisors have reportedly suggested to him, would be highly awkward considering Trump's boast that it would "perhaps be the most important speech given in the history of the USA."
In 2016, Trump and the Republicans swept into power, taking control of the White House and maintaining their majorities in both chambers of Congress.
But Democrats won back the House of Representatives in a 2018 landslide after campaigning largely against Trump's caustic style.
They completed their trifecta of US political power by taking the Senate and the White House in 2020.