Trump is back but his chances look bleak – at least for now

Expect months of self-pity as Republicans inch away from the ex-president and Ron DeSantis gains steam

The guy who spawned an insurrection in January 2021 is back. On Tuesday night, Donald Trump launched his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. In front of Mar-a-Lago's fawning faithful, he attacked Joe Biden and lamented the state of the US in his own absence. Embarrassed", humiliated" and glory" emerged as the evening's buzzwords.

The speech sounded like a rehash of his inaugural address. The US has been warned. Unless 45" goes to prison sometime soon, expect the coming months to be a constant pity-party, fueled by a bottomless pit of grievances. In his own words, he is persecuted" and a victim". His son Eric is the unfair recipient of a passel of subpoenas.