Trump Starts New MAGA Again PAC to Support Candidates, Still No 2024 Announcement

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Alex J. Rouhandeh serves as a special correspondent for Newsweek and is currently working toward his Master of Arts within the politics concentration at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism where he serves as the school's student representative in the University Senate and the Student Leadership Advisory Council of the Columbia Alumni Association.

Previously, he served as Newsweek's congressional correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Over his tenure with Newsweek, Alex has covered the speakership of Mike Johnson, the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the midterm elections of 2022, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and other key congressional stories of the Biden presidency.

Alex additionally provides coverage of Newsweek ownership and has produced investigative reporting on legal troubles facing the Olivet Assembly, a religious entity to which Newsweek's two owners formerly held ties.

Prior to covering Congress, Alex reported on matters of U.S. national security, holding press credentials for both the U.S. Capitol and the Department of Defense. Before joining Newsweek, Alex wrote for The American Prospect, Vice News, WDIV-TV NBC Local 4 News in Detroit, and other regional outlets.

His entry into the media industry began at Syracuse University where he majored in magazine journalism and produced award-winning coverage of the U.S.-Mexico border. At Syracuse, Alex also completed majors in policy studies as well as citizenship & civic engagement and was recognized as a Remembrance Scholar, one of the university's highest honors.

Alex was selected by the National Press Foundation to serve as a Paul Miller Washington Reporting fellow in 2024. He holds memberships with the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) organization.

Contact Alex with tips and feedback at a.rouhandeh@newsweek.com, and stay updated on his reporting by following him on social media at @AlexRouhandeh.

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Former President Donald Trump's team announced today the creation of the "ONLY Trump approved Super PAC" the "Make America Great Again, Again!" PAC which will replace the "Make America Great Again Action" PAC.

The former president's team said assets from the former PAC would be transferred to this new PAC and used to support candidates "who have proven to be fighters of the MAGA movement and President Trump's many accomplishments."

The announcement comes on the tails of a report published today by The Washington Post in which anonymous Trump advisers told the paper that the former president would delay formally announcing a 2024 bid in order to shield himself from responsibility for the results of the 2022 mid-term elections.

"We look forward to building on the success of MAGA Action with our new committee, Make America Great Again, Again!" Pam Bondi, the former Attorney General of Florida and new chair of the PAC wrote in a statement. "We are thrilled to continue to support America First candidates in the midterms and beyond."

Trump has so far endorsed 37 candidates for the 2022 elections cycle, 13 of which are running for Senate seats and 10 of which are vying for the house. The rest are running for governorships and state executive positions.

President Trump Announces Revised NAFTA Deal With
Despite offering 37 endorsements, former President Donald Trump has not yet confirmed whether he will run for office in 2024. Here, he speaks on the telephone via speakerphone with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in... Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Despite his willingness to endorse political races, Trump apparently took the advice of his advisers that a formal announcement of his intent to run could boost Democrat turnout in moderate districts that swung blue out of fear of four more years under Trump, The Post reported.

These advisers indicated to the former president that they felt his current role would best be served boosting like-minded Republicans than focusing on his own race. So far, Trump has looked to do this in red districts where Republicans deviated from his preferred agenda.

Trump endorsed Harriet Hageman who's running against one of his most outspoken critics from the right, Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming. He has also offered his support to Kelly Tshibaka who looks to unseat Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski who was one of the seven senators who voted to convict Trump for inciting the January 6 insurrection during his second impeachment trial.

With slim majorities in the House and Senate, these endorsements could play a key role in a future majority flip.

"President Trump's endorsement is the most powerful and sought-after endorsement in the history of American politics," Taylor Budowich, the communications director for Trump's other PAC Save America, told Fox News. "He will continue to identify and support strong candidates who will advocate for his America First agenda in Congress and statehouses across the nation."

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About the writer

Alex J. Rouhandeh serves as a special correspondent for Newsweek and is currently working toward his Master of Arts within the politics concentration at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism where he serves as the school's student representative in the University Senate and the Student Leadership Advisory Council of the Columbia Alumni Association.

Previously, he served as Newsweek's congressional correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Over his tenure with Newsweek, Alex has covered the speakership of Mike Johnson, the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the midterm elections of 2022, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and other key congressional stories of the Biden presidency.

Alex additionally provides coverage of Newsweek ownership and has produced investigative reporting on legal troubles facing the Olivet Assembly, a religious entity to which Newsweek's two owners formerly held ties.

Prior to covering Congress, Alex reported on matters of U.S. national security, holding press credentials for both the U.S. Capitol and the Department of Defense. Before joining Newsweek, Alex wrote for The American Prospect, Vice News, WDIV-TV NBC Local 4 News in Detroit, and other regional outlets.

His entry into the media industry began at Syracuse University where he majored in magazine journalism and produced award-winning coverage of the U.S.-Mexico border. At Syracuse, Alex also completed majors in policy studies as well as citizenship & civic engagement and was recognized as a Remembrance Scholar, one of the university's highest honors.

Alex was selected by the National Press Foundation to serve as a Paul Miller Washington Reporting fellow in 2024. He holds memberships with the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) organization.

Contact Alex with tips and feedback at a.rouhandeh@newsweek.com, and stay updated on his reporting by following him on social media at @AlexRouhandeh.

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Alex J. Rouhandeh serves as a special correspondent for Newsweek and is currently working toward his Master of Arts within ... Read more