- Friends and family close to former President Donald Trump were present for his 2024 announcement.
- Notably, many members of Congress were not in attendance.
Former President Donald Trump officially announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential race at his Palm Beach, Florida, home on Tuesday among friends, family, and ardent supporters.
Noticeably absent, however, were GOP lawmakers. Only one, Rep. Madison Cawthorn, was spotted by Insider reporter Kimberly Leonard in the Mar-a-Lago Grand Ballroom.
—Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) November 16, 2022
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz was set to attend, but could not make it due to a scheduling conflict. Some lawmakers, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, congratulated Trump online.
Also absent were three of Trump's children, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Tiffany Trump. Following the announcement, Ivanka Trump, in a statement to ABC, said that she no longer plans to be involved in politics.
Trump loyalists in attendance included his former adviser Roger Stone and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.
Notable Trump supporters in attendance included Russell Vought, former deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Trump presidency, Trump's former campaign adviser Jason Miller, and former White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley.
Also in attendance were Trump family members Barron Trump, Eric Trump and his wife Lara, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who were all seen walking into the event together.
Trump's wife, Melania, also joined the former president on stage following the end of his hour-long speech announcing his candidacy.