Billionaire Tom Steyer, who has been running a campaign to impeach President Donald Trump for some time now, has also begun thinking about running for president himself.
According to sources, Steyer is seriously looking into pursuing the job, even more so if Democrats fare well in the midterm elections. He has said publicly that he hasn’t ruled out running in 2020, and sources say that behind the scenes he is taking an even more aggressive approach toward launching a campaign for the White House.
CNBC writes that the Democratic donor is still in the process of deciding whether to run, but according to sources he will most likely do so should Democrats retake the House. Experts believe Democrats have a good chance of flipping the House, but the Senate will most likely stay under Republican control.
“There’s no secret he’s going to be running for president, especially if Democrats take the House,” a top Democratic donor said on the condition of anonymity. “Anyone who says this movement of his is purely about saving the country from Trump and not about any future political ambitions is just out of touch.”
Steyer associates also point to the work being done by Allen Nesbitt for Steyer’s Need to Impeach super PAC, or NTI, as another sign the billionaire is thinking about running. Steyer hired Nesbit, the leader of opposition research firm Nesbitt Research in October of last year.
“They’re constantly looking at how issues that Tom works on resonate with voters — whether it be immigration, climate change, impeachment, or health care,” Aleigha Cavalier, a spokeswoman for Steyer, said in an email.
A source said the company’s research work also focuses on whether the electorate would support Steyer for president if he ran on a platform featuring environmental issues, where he is also active. Aides for Steyer confirmed their boss was considering a 2020 run but denied the research was related to it.
“At the end of this election cycle, Tom plans to look at the best way he can make an impact moving forward, and all options are on the table,” said NTI’s lead strategist in response to a question whether Steyer would run for the White House.
Be the first to comment