Washington, November 16: Former US President Donald Trump has announced his third bid for the White House, kicking off the 2024 presidential election cycle. "To make America great again, I am today announcing my candidacy for the president of the US," Trump said at an event on Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

Shortly before his announcement, Trump also filed paperwork to officially run for president. At the event, a voice over the loudspeaker introduced Trump as "the next president of the United States", the BBC reported. Donald Trump Formally Enters Race for White House, Announces Bid for 2024 US Presidential Election.

He started his speech by digging into his successor President Joe Biden's record and told supporters that "America's comeback starts right now". Touting his four years in office, the former President said: "In four short years, everyone was doing great... Everyone was thriving like never before."

He further claimed that the country's economy was making a swift recovery when he left office, after falling during the coronavirus pandemic. "Now we are a nation in decline," he said, citing high inflation rates.

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Trump also said that Biden has brought the US to the brink of nuclear war with its handling of the conflict in Ukraine. "Even just today a missile sent in, probably by Russia, to Poland. The people are going absolutely wild and crazy and they're not happy. They're very very angry," the BBC quoted the former President as saying.

Prior to his announcement on Tuesday, Trump had said that he would make an important announcement on November 15. In the recent months, he had been dropping hints about a potential third campaign for the White House, the BBC reported. Donald Trump Says He Is Running for 2024 US Presidential Election.

In October, he told a rally in Texas that he "will probably have to do it again", while in September at an event in Pennsylvania, the former President said: "I may just have to do it again."

Just before the November 8 midterm elections, he told a Republican campaign rally in Sioux City, Iowa, that he would "very, very, very probably" be running for the White House again.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 16, 2022 08:29 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).