YES, it’s official. The American 2024 presidential race has begun. The first Republican primary debate will be held on Aug 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And it’s still unclear whether the Republican frontrunner, former president Donald Trump, will attend.

But even if the ex-president doesn’t show up, it’s clear that Trump – the presidential candidate – and Trumpism – as a political agenda – would be dominating the event, and all the Republican primaries.

Indeed, the Grand Old Party (GOP) has become the Donald Trump Party. Polls suggest that despite a slew of indictments against the former president – the latest one asserts his role in, and responsibility for, the Jan 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol – large majorities of Republican voters continue to support him.