Donald Trump has fired the starting gun on the 2024 race with campaign appearances in critical early primary states.

The former president hoped that his early declaration, almost two full years before the next presidential election, would deter rival Republicans from entering the race.

But with his former UN ambassador Nikki Haley also announcing her bid and rising star Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, leading in some polls, Mr Trump is no longer the party's undisputed leader.

Few Republicans have publicly endorsed Mr Trump, 76, opting to see how the primary field shapes up.

Mr DeSantis is understood to be "actively preparing" his 2024 campaign, according to sources.

A host of other GOP figures, from emerging stars to veteran campaigners, are mulling their own White House bids.

Donald Trump

Mr Trump kicked off his 2024 campaign with appearances in the critical early voting states of New Hampshire and South Carolina.

After a lacklustre campaign launch from Mar-a-Lago, the former president has faced criticism of a low-energy White House bid from fellow Republicans.

He has pushed back, saying he is "more angry" and "more committed" than ever, but his slimmed-down campaign suggests a different approach to 2020.

Once again framing himself as a Washington outsider, Mr Trump is vowing to take on the "corrupt political establishment" by backing new rules on members of Congress.

"Only a non-politician would do that," he quipped at one campaign event.

The Republican Party's once near-total fealty to its former president has gone - precious few GOP Senators have publicly endorsed him, biding their time as the field takes shape.

Mr Trump is aware he will face challenges, and appears to be welcoming other entrants to the race, aware that a large field favours him in the Republican primary's essentially winner-take-all system.

Some have made no secret of their willingness to challenge Mr Trump, who will be 78 at the time of the next election.

Others have been more circumspect, but even loyal Trumpites have admitted the disappointing performance of several Trump-picked midterm candidates has weakened the former president's standing.

Nikki Haley

In mid-February, Ms Haley, Mr Trump’s former UN ambassador, became the first person to formally challenge her former boss for the Republican nomination, despite previously ruling it out.

The 51-year-old reportedly plans to officially declare her White House bid in her home state of South Carolina on Wednesday.

But an early leak of her announcement video emerged on Tuesday.
 
Ms Haley is a former governor of the state, which, as an early primary state, plays an outsized influence in the Republican nomination contest.

She was a respected member of Mr Trump’s cabinet, known for her defence of his America First policy on the world stage.

She has been a prominent campaigner for Republican candidates and her non-profit, Stand for America, raised more than $8.5 million (£6.9 million) last year.

Her complicated relationship with Mr Trump may pose problems. Ms Haley criticised him after Jan 6, 2021, and suggested the Party “shouldn’t have followed” him.

She quickly backtracked and insisted “We need Trump in the Republican Party” and ruled out running “if President Trump ran”.

She reversed course again, calling for a new generation of leadership.

She told Fox News last month: “So do I think I could be that leader? Yes, but we are still working through things and we’ll figure it out.”

She added: “I’ve never lost a race. I said that then. I still say that now. I’m not going to lose now.”

Ron DeSantis

However, Mr Trump’s chief rival is Ron DeSantis, Florida’s self-proclaimed “anti-woke” governor.

The Florida governor’s profile was boosted during the pandemic by his anti-lockdown stance and his willingness to engage in America’s culture wars.

Mr DeSantis has an impressive record - a star baseball player at Yale, as well as a graduate of Harvard Law School and a former Navy officer - but has won supporters over more with his anti-establishment approach.

Mr DeSantis’ supporters see the 44-year-old as the natural successor to Mr Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

They believe he offers a path to victory for Republicans after his landslide re-election in Florida, a critical presidential swing state, this November.

At 44, they argue he can lead a new generation of conservatives and can appeal to a broader base than Mr Trump.

His recent victory provided a potential roadmap to future Republican success as he drew in new support from Hispanic and formerly Democrat voters.

Mr DeSantis appears to have won the backing of the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post, which ran the headline “DeFUTURE” following his re-election.

Some polls have Mr DeSantis leading Mr Trump in Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states to vote in the 2024 Republican primary.

Mike Pence

Mike Pence, the former US vice president, has positioned himself for a 2024 run with a new memoir as well as appearances in a number of critical states.

Mr Pence is balancing a tightrope as he distances himself from his former boss’s push to overturn the 2020 election, while simultaneously taking credit for the achievements of what he terms the “Trump-Pence administration”.

The 63-year-old has won the praise of some moderates for refusing to follow Mr Trump’s demand that he stop the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in Congress on Jan 6, 2021.

He has described his fury after he and his family were whisked away as a pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol later the same day and ransacked the building.

In his memoir, he describes Mr Trump’s behaviour in the run-up to the Capitol attack as “reckless”.

In several rounds of media interviews, he has said there are “better choices” than Mr Trump to lead the party into the next election.

A devout Christian, Mr Pence said he and his family are giving “prayerful consideration” to whether he should run himself.

But he faces an uphill battle, given his unpopularity among Mr Trump’s base, which makes up a sizeable portion of the Republican grassroots.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy, a health tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist, has become the third major candidate to enter the race for the Republican nomination.

Mr Ramaswamy, 37, said he was launching "not only a political campaign but a cultural movement" that would provide a conservative response to America's culture wars.

The businessman, and author of the book Woke Inc., has previously featured on Forbes’ list of richest entrepreneurs under 40, with a reported net worth of $500 million.

Mr Ramaswamy acknowledged his campaign was a long-shot in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, but said idea-driven outsiders could invigorate the country's political discourse and "create a new American Dream".

He wrote: "It may seem presumptuous for a 37-year-old political outsider to pursue the highest office in the land, but I am running on a vision for our nation - one that revives merit in every sphere of American life."

The son of Indian immigrants, invoked his parents' story as he called for cracking down on illegal immigration and "eliminating lottery-based immigration in favour of meritocratic admission".

He wrote of identity-driven culture wars: "What the conservative movement needs to do is more than just criticise the poison that fills the void but fill the vacuum with a vision of American national identity".

Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz has repeatedly teased a second White House run after coming second to Mr Trump in the 2016 Republican primary.

The senator from Texas is one of the most high-profile Republicans in the chamber and has strong conservative credentials.

He crisscrossed the country during the 2022  midterms on behalf of Republicans, including in a number of early-voting primary states.

However, Mr Cruz faces a dilemma in 2024, as his own Senate seat is up for re-election.

Mr Cruz has confirmed he is running for a third term but has not ruled out the possibility of also being a presidential candidate.

In a pointed comment, Mr Cruz said of Mr Trump’s bid: “I don’t think he’ll run uncontested. I think there will be candidates that run against him. But we’re very early in this process. There’s plenty of time for the debates and discussions.”

Mike Pompeo

Mike Pompeo, a former congressman for Kansas, CIA director, and most recently Mr Trump’s Secretary of State, is another potential candidate.

Mr Pompeo has loosely hinted that Republicans should move on from Mr Trump, saying: “Conservatives are elected when we deliver. Not when we just rail on social media.”

The foreign policy hawk has undergone a dramatic weight loss since quitting the Trump administration and has been doing the media rounds with a new book, prompting speculation he is preparing to run.

Mr Pompeo has gone on a publicity tour with a new book - a frequent prelude to a presidential campaign by prospective candidates – and said he would likely make a decision about declaring his candidacy by the spring.

Tim Scott

Tim Scott, a senator for South Carolina, has fuelled speculation he is preparing a 2024 campaign with a listening tour that takes in several key states.

Mr Scott's "Faith in America" tour includes appearances in Charleston, South Carolina, and two stops in Iowa, the third and first states to vote respectively.

In a move that has caught pundits' attention, he is also running digital ads in Iowa ahead of his visit, paid for by his 2022 Senate re-election campaign.

He is one of the Republican Party's top fundraisers, and comfortably won re-election to the Senate last November with more than $20 million left over in his warchest.

Mr Scott's supporters say he is the strongest candidate to unite the pro-Trump and Trump-weary factions of his party.

He has a strong conservative record but has been willing to criticise the former president on occasion.

The only black Republican in the Senate, he has a compelling biography as the child of a single mother who rose from poverty to political prominence as a black conservative in the South.

Glenn Youngkin

Glenn Youngkin, the Virginia governor, is a relative political newcomer but caught pundits’ attention with his 2021 win in a blue state where Joe Biden took a 10-point margin.

Mr Youngkin pulled off the feat by running as an independent-minded politician - a delicate balance that allowed him to secure Trump voters as well as moderate Republicans and independents.

It helped him defeat Democratic heavyweight Terry McAuliffe to become the first Republican to flip Virginia in more than a decade.

Mr Youngkin’s supporters argue his success in Virginia - in many ways a microcosm of the national electoral map - offers a winning roadmap for Republicans nationwide.

While shying away from Mr Trump, the former private equity executive has not been reticent about issues that excite his base.

He has waded into the culture wars, in particular on children’s education and critical race theory, while also proving adept at presenting himself as a unifying candidate.

While campaigning for other Republican candidates in the midterms, including Kari Lake in Arizona, Mr Youngkin hinted at a potential White House run.

Larry Hogan

Unlike many potential 2024 candidates, outgoing Maryland governor Larry Hogan has not shied away from criticising Mr Trump.

Mr Hogan has confirmed he is mulling a presidential bid and has made his anti-Trumpism a cornerstone of his brand.

But Mr Hogan believes his track record in Maryland, a staunchly blue state, could stand him in good stead.

“I’ve been saying since 2020 that we have to get back to a party that appeals to more people that can win in tough places like I’ve done in Maryland,” he told CNN following Republicans’ poor midterm results.

“And I think that lane is much wider now than it was a week ago.”

Chris Sununu

Chris Sununu, New Hampshire’s governor, has gone even further, making headlines as one of Mr Trump’s most prominent Republican critics.

He secured one of the biggest Republican wins of the midterms, winning New Hampshire - the second state to vote in the GOP presidential primary - by 15 points.

Mr Sununu has called the midterms a “rejection of extremism” and called for the party to “stop supporting crazy, unelectable candidates”, in a dig at Mr Trump.

The governor has been explicit about his thoughts on the former president, telling a high-profile Washington DC blacktie event earlier this year: “He’s f------ crazy.”

He has been less explicit on whether he will challenge Mr Trump, but his plans to tour the country to make the case for a pragmatic version of Republican conservatism.

He said: “I’m open to everything. I seriously am. I never close off opportunity.”

Brian Kemp

Brian Kemp, Georgia’s Republican governor, gained a national profile amid his high-profile clash with Mr Trump over the latter’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election result.

Mr Kemp survived a Trump-backed primary challenge and won a convincing re-election in the Peach State, proving that Republicans can break with Mr Trump without sacrificing support from the party’s grassroots.

The governor won praise from Georgians for his handling of the pandemic, re-opening the state far more rapidly than many of his counterparts.

Significantly, Mr Kemp’s job performance has even won him grudging respect from some Democratic voters, a rare feat in these days of deeply entrenched partisanship.

Mr Kemp has not been shy about touting the significance of his victory. “If we didn’t hold the governor’s race in the 2022 midterm, there’s no path for a Republican to win the presidency in 2024,” he said. “And I think now we have that path.”

Asa Hutchinson

Asa Hutchinson, a former two-term governor of Arkansas, has made no secret of the fact he is seriously considering a White House run.

He left office in January due to term limits, and was succeeded by Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Mr Trump's former White House press secretary.

Mr Hutchinson has made multiple trips to Iowa in recent months, which he acknowledged "does send some signals that you're serious about looking at 2024".

He has touted his "consistent conservative" record during his long tenure in public office.

He said of making a 2024 decision: "I’m not setting an artificial timeframe. I’m wanting to make sure that if I did become a candidate, that there would be the kind of financial support that’s needed."

He has the benefit of early financial backing from the America Strong and Free Action super PAC.

Kristi Noem

Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota, gained a national profile with her anti-mandate stance on Covid-19 restrictions, making her state an outlier among the majority of states.

She cruised to victory with her re-election bid last November, but is considered a strong contender for higher office.

She previously indicated she would support Mr Trump's re-election bid, but has since said the former president doesn’t offer “the best chance” for the party.

“Our job is not just to talk to people who love Trump or hate Trump. Our job is to talk to every single American,” she told The New York Times.

While Ms Noem has also said she is "not convinced" she needs to run for president, she has been touted as a strong vice presidential candidate.

Staff from the governor's office recently launched an attack on Mr DeSantis over his record on abortion, viewed as a statement of intent from Ms Noem.