You all already know Donald Trump, the favorite for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. But have you met the supporting characters in his story?
There’s Grumpy, the Florida governor, and Friendly, the senator from South Carolina. You know Smarty, the former UN ambassador, and Screamy, the New Jersey governor who helped Trump get elected the first time around, but had a change of heart after Trump was in the White House.
There’s Talky, the young businessman who is full of new ideas, and Ho-Hum, the governor of North Dakota who has loads of policy prescriptions but is unknown to most voters.
There are 11 players in all, depending on who you count as really running. And they all could be viable candidates in their own ways, with resumes and records and personal stories you might be impressed by. But as Trump blazes the presidential campaign trail with drama and rage and pizazz and controversy, the other Republicans seem to make themselves smaller every day.
The biggest riddle right now is why nearly every candidate is adding lines to their stump speeches that support Trump’s insistence that the entire criminal justice system is rigged against him. Don’t blame Trump, his opponents are essentially telling voters, he’s the real victim here.