Donald Trump was introduced as the 45th president of the United States by a fellow golfer as he prepared to tee off.
Trump hit his drive after responding matter-of-factly.
A joke on the links captured on shaky cellphone video reminded the former president that he has another presidential run in him. The declaration belied the growing challenges he is facing as a series of complex legal investigations ensnare Trump, his family and many associates.
The probes, which are unfolding in multiple jurisdictions and consider everything from potential fraud and election interference to the role he played in the Jan. 6 insurrection, represent the most serious legal threat Trump has faced in decades of an often litigious public life. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that Trump's iron grip on the GOP may be starting to loosen.
In a September 2020 AP-NORC/USAFacts poll, 70% of Republicans said they had a favorable opinion of Trump, which is down from 80% in a September 2016 AP-NORC/USAFacts poll. A majority of Republicans want him to run for president in 2024, according to a new poll. According to the poll, 42% of Republicans don't want Trump to run.
Despite the legal and political setbacks, those around Trump describe him as unbothered, because of a sense of invincibility that has allowed him to recover from devastating turns, including two impeachments, that would have ended the careers of other politicians. He continues to tease a comeback run for president.
Darrell Scott, an Ohio pastor and Trump ally, said that the former president was in great spirits.
Trump huddled with top aides in Florida this week as he plotted a strategy for the upcoming elections. He will hold another campaign-style rally in Texas on Saturday ahead of the state's March 1 elections.
Representatives for Trump didn't respond to questions about the investigations or polling. In interviews and appearances, he often boasts of his endorsement record as he aims to reward candidates who pledge loyalty to his vision of the party and parrot his election lies.
The effort to freeze the field of Republicans has been mixed. Some, including former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have made speeches and traveled to states that suggest they are considering campaigns. One of the biggest regrets as governor was not pushing back against Trump when he urged Americans to stay home in the early days of the disease, according to Ron DeSantis.
The legal cases against Trump are also moving forward.
The judges in Georgia approved a request for a special grand jury by the Fulton County prosecutor who is investigating whether Trump and others broke the law by trying to pressure Georgia officials to throw out President Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election. The election had been subject to possible criminal disruptions, according to the Fulton County District Attorney.
In New York, state Attorney General Letitia James claimed in a court filing last week that her office uncovered evidence that Trump's company used fraudulent or misleading valuations of its golf clubs, skyscrapers and other property to secure loans. The company overstated the value of land donations made in New York and California on paperwork submitted to the IRS and mis reported the size of Trump's Manhattan penthouse, according to her lawyers.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has been working with the James office on a parallel criminal investigation, which resulted in charges last summer against the Trump Organization and Allen Weisselberg.
In Washington, the Jan. 6 committee investigating the violent insurrection has interviewed hundreds of witnesses, issued dozens of subpoenas and obtained tens of thousands of pages of records, including texts, emails and phone records from people close to Trump. The chairman of the committee has said that there is a draft executive order that would use Defense Department assets to seize voting machines.
A top Justice Department official said this week that prosecutors are investigating fake certificates sent to the National Archives with made-up slates of electors who wrongly declared Trump the winner in seven states. The Justice Department remains committed to holding the perpetrators of January 6th accountable, regardless of where they were that day, according to Attorney General Garland.
Trump was largely spared from legal consequences as president. But no longer.
David Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor in Miami, said that until now, Trump's legal problems have mostly been about money. He said that what Trump is facing now, particularly in Georgia and Washington, is more significant because of the potential exposure to criminal punishment.
He said that if they can prove intent, knowledge, involvement in an ongoing conspiracy, it would expose him to criminal exposure.
Those who have worked with Trump said he and his associates are likely to continue to ignore the probes because they are politically motivated. Being under investigation in TrumpWorld is a regular occurrence after spending so many years jumping from crisis to crisis, from the Russia investigation to inquiries about everything from his Washington hotel lease to payoffs to a former porn star.
For many in his circle, it is a badge of honor to be subpoenaed, according to the former White House press secretary.
She said that it was easy to say that it was just another witch hunt. We double down in TrumpWorld. You claim it is a witch hunt and political theater. It's how you get your supporters to keep donating money and to keep believing they're on the right side.
There is a problem.
Hannah Fingerhut is a writer for the Associated Press.
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