Trump advisers pressing him to announce 2024 campaign before Lindsey Graham meets with grand jury

Donald Trump's advisers are urging him to announce a 2024 presidential campaign before Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) testifies before a grand jury in Georgia.

The special grand jury empaneled in Fulton County issued a subpoena to the South Carolina Republican to testify about Trump's efforts to overturn his election loss in the state, and the former president's advisers seem to think he should announce another White House bid to stay ahead of that investigation, reported New York Magazine.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘You’ve got to announce so you’re protected. It’s a witch hunt, they’re trying to do this to you again. You’ve got to do it before the grand jury meets with Lindsey Graham in the Georgia case,’” a former adviser said.

Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis wants Graham to tell the grand jury about two phone calls he made to Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger, although the senator has tried to quash the order, but Trump allies say the subpoena has spooked everyone in his orbit.

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“Grand juries leak," the former adviser said. "It’s not like you could say, ‘Well, he’s got six months before they make a decision about prosecuting him in Fulton County.' That’s a criminal case. That’s the big thing he’s worried about because of the tape.”

Trump can be heard on a recorded call from Jan. 2, 2021, pressuring Raffensperger to "find" exactly the number of votes he needed to overcome Joe Biden's lead in Georgia, and while Graham was among those who urged him not to announce his candidacy on July 4, the former adviser said the senator's constant presence made Trump feel the heat.

“Graham feels like if you just let him do what he wants, then it doesn’t happen out of the blue in the dead of night," the former adviser said. "The takeaway was he’s not gonna last five months without announcing.”