Denying liberals their final wish that he be frog-marched from the White House by the Secret Service or U.S. troops, President Donald Trump offered a few words to followers at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday morning and boarded Air Force One for a final flight, home to Palm Beach.
“It is my greatest honor and privilege to have been your president,” Trump said in his comments, according to The Washington Times. “I will always fight for you. I will be watching, I will be listening. I will tell you that the future of this country has never been better.”
“Goodbye, we love you,” Trump said along with first lady Melania.
“We will be back in some form. Have a good life, we will see you soon.”
Some speculate that Trump may return by launching a new news-media venture to vent his frustration with the media – both liberal outlets in the mainstream as well as Fox News, which has been less supportive in recent months.
But The Wall Street Journal indicates Trump may have another idea.
On Tuesday night, the Journal reported: “President Trump has talked in recent days with associates about forming a new political party, according to people familiar with the matter, an effort to exert continued influence after he leaves the White House.”
“Trump discussed the matter with several aides and other people close to him last week, the people said. The president said he would want to call the new party the ‘Patriot Party,’ the people said.”
The Journal noted that Trump has “feuded” in recent days with several Republican leaders. That includes Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who faulted Trump for the tragic Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
That list also may include Vice President Mike Pence, who according to media accounts, incurred Trump’s wrath for not doing more to invalidate the Electoral College vote.
If the 45th president wanted to create a new party, he would start with a significant base of support.
On Monday, Gallup reported that Trump’s final job-approval rating registered 34 percent, the lowest of his presidency. That was down 46 percent from before the Nov. 3 election.
But among modern presidents, according to Gallup, Trump’s final rating surpassed Democrat Harry Truman and equaled those of Democrat Jimmy Carter and Republican George W. Bush.
The most vital stat of Gallup’s survey, however, is his following among Republicans.
Gallup reported that Trump’s approval rating among GOP members was 88 percent. That equaled Dwight Eisenhower’s score, and exceeded those of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and the younger Bush.
Gallup noted, “Perhaps more than anything, Trump’s public support will be remembered for its sharp degree of party polarization.
His Republican base remained solidly behind him throughout. At no point in his presidency did less than 77% of Republicans approve of him.”
Which explains an observation in the Journal’s report.
“It’s unclear how serious Mr. Trump is about starting a new party, which would require a significant investment of time and resources,” the Journal observed. “Third parties have typically failed to draw enough support to play a major role in national elections.”
Still, “Any effort to start a new party would likely face intense opposition from Republican party officials, who would chafe at the thought of Mr. Trump peeling off support from GOP candidates.”