Wednesday 16 November 2022 02:20 AM Trump officially announces he is running for president in 2024 for the third ... trends now

Donald Trump has revealed he is running for president for the third time in 2024.

The former president defied Republican critics and those who blamed him for the GOP's disappointing midterms to go full steam on stating his intent to be back in the Oval Office. 

He filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission just moments before he began his speech to supporters at Mar-a-Lago.

In his stately ballroom with opulent gold trimmings and chandeliers and in front of his family, he was introduced as the 'next president' to chants to 'USA'. 

'America's comeback starts right now', he said, and then went on to attack President Biden for record inflation, 'falling asleep at global conferences' and making the U.S. 'detestable' with the rest of the world.

He said Afghanistan was the most 'embarrassing moment in the history of our country' and tore into the Biden administration border policies that have led to an 'invasion' and fentanyl 'pouring' into our country. 

Trump's announcement comes the same day as a new poll showed the ex-president with a commanding lead in a field of potential 2024 candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has yet to rule out his own White House campaign against Trump.

The former president has responded by calling the governor 'disloyal,' 'average' and 'Ron DeSanctimonious' amid a flurry of other insults.

Asked about that criticism on Tuesday, DeSantis suggested he was unfazed - but went out of his way to target 'the corporate media' more directly than the former president.

'When you're leading, when you're getting things done, yeah you take incoming fire - that's just the nature of it,' DeSantis said.

'I roll out of bed in the morning, I've got corporate media outlets just having a spasm over the fact that I'm getting up in the morning. And it's constantly attacking, and this is just what's happened.'

He continued, 'I think what you learn is, all that's just noise. And really what matters is - are you leading, are you getting in front of issues, are you delivering results for people and are you standing up for folks? And if you do that, then none of that stuff matters.'

But DeSantis added as a final jab, 'At the end of the day, I would just tell people to check out the scoreboard from last Tuesday night.'

Hours before the former president took the stage, advisers and allies like Jason Miller, Boris Epshteyn and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell milled about the room.

Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich was also present.

Jason Miller told reporters that Trump would be laying out 'all the campaign mechanics' on Tuesday night.