Will Kansas Republicans back Trump in 2024 or maybe Pompeo? Top GOP politicians won't say.

Top Kansas Republicans remain mum on whether they support former President Donald Trump running for office again. They also remain quiet on the prospects of former Kansas congressman and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo running for president.

"Our county was great," Trump said toward the end of a Tuesday night announcement speech that lasted more than an hour. "Our country is not great anymore. Our country is a laughingstock right now. But our country can be greater than it ever was before."

Trump — the twice-impeached former president who refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, inspiring a deadly insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — is the subject of multiple legal issues, including investigations into classified documents stored at his Mar-a-Lago resort and business tax fraud charges.

"From now until Election Day in 2024 — which will come very quickly, well go look at how time flies, look how fast it's all gone — I will fight like no one has ever fought before," Trump said. "We will defeat the radical left Democrats that are trying to destroy our country from within and likewise protect us all."

U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner was the only Republican in the Kansas congressional delegation to respond to questions, including whether they will endorse Trump or if they would support Pompeo. None of the campaigns for the four Republicans elected to statewide office on Nov. 8 responded, nor the Kansas Republican Party.

"While the Trump Administration's policies have been crucial in helping Kansas families and businesses succeed, Rep. LaTurner will not be endorsing any candidate for President until Kansas patriot Mike Pompeo makes his decision," said Mike Howard, LaTurner's spokesperson. "Should he decide to run, Pompeo will have his full support."

Bob Beatty, a Washburn University political science professor, said it is unlikely many Kansas Republicans will endorse Trump this early.

"Why jump in early when there's these very formidable candidates that may be better for the party than Donald Trump?" Beatty said.

"If Pompeo runs that's an easy choice because there's always consideration given to favorite son candidates," he said. "So I do think Kansas Republicans would line up behind Pompeo."

More:What lessons can Kansas Republicans take away from 2022 elections?

Will Mike Pompeo run for president?

Pompeo has long dropped hints that he is eying his own run for president.

"We need more seriousness, less noise, and leaders who are looking forward, not staring in the rearview mirror claiming victimhood," Pompeo tweeted without mentioning Trump the morning after Trump's announcement.

Despite speculation that he might run for Kansas governor, Pompeo stayed out of the 2022 elections, opting to run a political action committee helping conservatives get elected. Pompeo was the Kansas 4th Congressional District representative before joining the Trump administration as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

In a return to Wichita for an August 2021 speech, Pompeo told reporters that "my political future" for 2022 centered on his CAVPAC work. "Then the Lord knows what will happen after that," he said, eschewing giving a firm answer on a 2024 run.

More:Mike Pompeo says his political future is focused on conservative PAC, 2022 elections, 'then the Lord knows what'

Pompeo avoided directly answering the question during a February speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference.

"I got asked this morning do you miss the pressure? Aren't you glad you're out of the fire? I miss every single minute of it," he said. "I wish that we were back there leading America."

Further feeding presidential speculations are Pompeo's visits to Iowa, the first state to caucus, and South Carolina, an early primary state. He has also written a book and and maintains a sizeable war chest.

Federal Election Commission reports show the Pompeo for Kansas candidate committee began the year with more than $1 million in the bank. Cash on hand dipped to about $840,000 at the end of September. Pompeo continues to pay for a storage unit in Wichita.

The most formidable challenger to Trump would likely be Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. If DeSantis runs, that could make it more difficult for Pompeo.

"A potential problem for a Pompeo presidential bid is the two heavyweights, Trump and DeSantis, could make it very hard for Pompeo to get attention," Beatty said. "In a vacuum, Pompeo's a formidable candidate in a more traditional year. ... But with Trump in any race, it's not going to be a traditional year."

More:Mike Pompeo prioritized oil and Saudi relationship after Jamal Khashoggi's murder. Here's what he said about it.

Is Donald Trump hurting Republicans?

Trump has fallen out of favor among some Republicans nationally after a red wave of GOP wins failed to materialize in the 2022 midterms last week. In Kansas, the GOP failed to pick up the seats held by Democrats Gov. Laura Kelly and U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids.

"In the 2022 midterms, his presence is blamed for an historical result by the Democrats, and they've kept the Senate," Beatty said. "So the question for a Republican in Kansas quickly endorsing Trump is how many losses does it have to take before you're going to consider someone else? That's why I don't think many will immediately endorse Trump."

In the past, Trump being on the ballot was credited with raising turnout among the Republican base, and his endorsements were once a powerful tool for winning elections, especially GOP primaries. But Kansans who won his endorsement this year did little to show it off.

"I think we've seen some indication, and especially in these midterms, that Trump was a drag on many Republicans ... I don't think Trump is helpful anymore," Beatty said. "In Kansas in 2022, there was a real trepidation about his influence, and wisely so. I don't see any reason that that's going to change."

Trump defended the candidates he endorsed this year, despite some bruising defeats, while predicting "the voting will be much different" in 2024 once voters "see much more clearly."

"Much criticism is being placed on the fact that the Republican Party should have done better," Trump said. "And frankly, much of this blame is correct. But the citizens of our country have not yet realized the full extent and gravity of the pain our nation is going through and the total effect of the suffering is just starting to take hold. They don't quite feel it yet, but they will very soon. I have no doubt that by 2024, it will sadly be much worse."

More:Kris Kobach's comeback is complete. What's next for the Kansas attorney general office?

Despite Trump's hope that "our movement remains united," his early announcement has sparked speculation of an internal GOP civil war. In Kansas, similar conversations may be taking place ahead of the legislative session starting in January as the Republican establishment blames supporters of conservative independent Sen. Dennis Pyle for splitting votes from Schmidt.

"There's going to be some real trepidation about embracing Donald Trump that just wasn't there is as recent as two years ago," Beatty said. "The abortion amendment and the midterm in Kansas certainly should have Republican leaders at least thinking about what kind approach they want to have in the session. I can't predict what that those thoughts will result in. But just tripling down like Derek Schmidt did on Republican wedge issues may not be the way to go. Or they may decide to do it."

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Will Kansas Republicans endorse Donald Trump or Mike Pompeo in 2024