First of all, is Trump really going to run for President in 2024? That’s the million-dollar question on everyone’s mind. Love him or hate him, he dominates politics in the United States, and we all want to know if 45 is going to announce a comeback bid.

There’s been a lot of talk and “flirting” with the idea, but up to this point, there’s been no formal announcement. When asked, Trump’s go-to response is “you’ll be happy with the decision”. Ok, then announce already!!

But timing is everything in politics, and regardless of the fact that Trump might be bursting at the seams to announce, sources close to the former President told The Hill that it’s a matter of when, not if, Trump will launch a third White House bid, suggesting he will announce when the time is right.

Here’s what we know so far and why he’s waiting to pull the trigger on a Presidential bid for the Oval in 2024.

Multiple sources told The Hill that a campaign announcement as early as this summer has already been discussed, but cautioned that “the situation remains fluid and it’s unclear when the former president might actually jump into the race.”

“I think there are people pulling him in that direction, and he’s open to it,” one former adviser said of an announcement before the midterms.

One source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, argued there’s no rush for Trump to declare his candidacy. Trump remains the most popular and influential figure in the Republican Party, the source said, and the former president could afford to wait until he has a clearer campaign infrastructure in place before throwing himself fully into a White House campaign.

Essentially, Trump has everything to gain by waiting and a lot to lose by announcing too early, which I have to agree with. Politics is a game of strategy, and Trump isn’t the only one who needs to be careful. If 45 waits, it could help Republicans secure the House and Senate in November, giving Trump an even greater chance of taking the White House in 24′.

If Trump announces now, it could hurt the Party, especially while all eyes are on the J6 committee hearing. Despite what we all think about Nancy Pelosi’s one-sided sham of a hearing, there are too many moderate Republicans and Democrats who are fixated on the negativity that is coming out of Capitol Hill right now. The smarter play would be to wait for the hearing to die down, the Republican Party to win either the House or Senate in November, and then announce off the momentum built.

But what if the Republican Party doesn’t succeed in November? Personally, I think it kills Trump’s chances of winning which could turn him off from running at all. In this case, waiting too long now hurts the former Presidents chances of winning.

Running for President is an investment that corporations and individuals invest up to billions of dollars in, therefore donors are going to want to make sure Trump has a good chance of winning. Michael Bloomberg alone contributed $1.2 billion to the 2020 Presidential election. The richest man in private equity, Stephen Schwarzman put $35 million into a super-PAC called the Senate Leadership Fund supporting Republican senators back in 2020. These political donor heavyweights do not want to piss their money away and will think twice before tossing this kind of cash behind a candidate. If their candidate doesn’t win, that money is gone!

With America literally in shambles over Joe Biden’s presidency, Americans need faith that everything’s going to be alright and they want it sooner rather than later. An early announcement could give Trump supporters hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, which could cause a compounding effect and build the momentum needed to get the rest of the country on board.

Some Republicans, however, fear that if Trump were to move forward with an early campaign announcement, it could ultimately hurt the party in this year’s midterm elections by giving more weight to Democrats’ argument that the GOP remains inextricably linked to the former president – again, J6 committee.

“I think if he announces soon, it’ll be good for him, bad for the party,” one Republican strategist said. “Republicans have had a lot of success talking about the economy and inflation and all of Joe Biden’s screw-ups. No one wants to turn around and have to talk about what Trump is doing.”

Strategists also claim that running now could distract from J6 and give Trump an even greater megaphone to hit back against accusations Trump claims simply aren’t true.

An early entry into the 2024 race would also likely make it more difficult for social media outlets like Twitter to uphold existing bans on Trump — something both Democrats and Republicans have acknowledged.

“If he’s the Republican nominee or if he’s a major candidate … I think probably anyone at Twitter would find a hard time saying that that person should be denied access to the platform,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” earlier this year.

There’s also the issue of Campaign Financing Laws that Trump himself has even said plays a big role in the timing of his decision.

Formally declaring his candidacy would trigger Federal Election Commission requirements about disclosing financial information, and it would limit how much Trump could raise from individual donors before November 2024.

The Hill noted that one former Trump campaign adviser said Trump will still be the favorite for the GOP nomination upon entering the 2024 race. But his path to winning the primary will not be clear, they acknowledged, pointing to the strength of would-be challengers like DeSantis and the House committee’s work keeping the events of Jan. 6 front and center. DeSantis has downplayed running for President and says he’s focused on a second term as the Governor in Florida.

“At the end of the day, a nomination is a business decision,” the former adviser said. “Who is the best candidate that represents the party’s policies and values, but most importantly who can also win.”

Believe me, for those of us who Trump politically and have followed him for a long time, if 45 had it his way, he would have already announced. He continues to hold his ‘Save America’ rallies which is a great sign that he’s eager to get back in the ring and Make America Great Again.

If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on a post-midterm announcement, especially if the GOP takes back the House or the Senate. We do that, I think it’s a done deal that Trump pulls the trigger and gives the White House a third and final shot.

Fingers cross Patriots!