Donald Trump announced that he will again run for president, telling supporters that "America's comeback starts right now".
Speaking to cheering supporters late on Tuesday in a flag-festooned ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Mr Trump painted a bleak picture of a "failing" America and promised he would fix it if he is elected in 2024.
"In order to make America great and glorious again I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," Mr Trump said as supporters yelled: "USA, USA".
He said the US had been "embarrassed, humiliated and weakened for all to see" under President Joe Biden, who beat Mr Trump by seven million votes in 2020 in an election that the former president still falsely insists was "stolen" from him through a Democratic conspiracy.
Mr Trump's announcement was long expected and he had teased it in recent weeks. Associates had urged him to postpone his candidacy after last week's midterm elections, where many of the candidates he backed lost, including celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania.
Senior Republican Party figures and conservative media outlets have publicly turned on the former president after an expected "red wave" of conservative victories largely fizzled.
Mr Trump's team filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission setting up a committee called "Donald JTrump for President 2024."
Mr Trump, 76, remains enormously popular among the hard right, "Make America Great Again" faction of conservative voters despite facing escalating criminal investigations.
While it is far from certain he will win his party's nomination, Mr Trump's early entrance into the 2024 presidential race will ensure he remains a force to contend with.
"It's basically the third election in a row that Donald Trump has cost us the race, and it's like three strikes and you're out," Maryland's departing Republican Governor Larry Hogan told CNN.
He was referring to Mr Trump's loss of the House of Representatives in 2018, the presidency in 2020 and the poor Republican showing in the 2022 midterms.
"Donald Trump kept saying, 'we're gonna be winning so much, we'll get tired of winning'. Well, I'm tired of losing. I mean, that's all he's done."
No one else has yet declared their intention to run for president, but Mr Trump's former vice president Mike Pence is expected to do so, as is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The Republican establishment appears to be coalescing around Mr DeSantis, who easily won re-election while Trump-anointed candidates elsewhere floundered.
He backed dozens of extremist candidates who propagated his claims that Joe Biden only won the 2020 election as the result of a broad conspiracy.
Even though court and state election officials rejected Mr Trump's election claims, about two thirds of Republican voters still believe Mr Biden's victory was illegitimate, polls show.
In a year where Mr Biden's approval rating is stuck at about 40 per cent, inflation is soaring and the economy is uncertain, the Democrats bucked historical trends and overperformed at the midterms.
Voter anger over the Supreme Court decision to overturn abortion rights offset concerns over high inflation, and most of the electorate was wary of picking Republican candidates who repeated Mr Trump's election lies.
Mr Trump's speech on Tuesday largely revisited old themes and grievances. He decried Mr Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan, which followed through on a deal Mr Trump cut with the Taliban, as "perhaps the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country, where we lost lives".
He also said America was in the midst of an illegal immigrant "invasion" and attacked Mr Biden's energy policies, saying he had "intentionally surrendered" energy independence to pursue a green agenda, although high petrol prices are being driven by global factors including Russia's war in Ukraine.
Mr Trump has taken note of the support Mr DeSantis is drawing. The former president has criticised his one-time protege, calling him "Ron DeSanctimonious" and suggesting that he would perform better against the governor in an election.
A look at former president Donald Trump's Truth Social feed - in pictures
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On Truth Social, a social media platform founded by Donald Trump after he was banned from Twitter, conversation is often limited to sycophantic memes and conspiratorial memes. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Almost all of Mr Trump's followers are die-hard supporters and criticism of the former president is rare. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump's signature line on 'The Apprentice' was: 'You're Fired!' Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Many memes lionise the former president. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump hopes to get a second term in office in 2024. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
A not-true ReTruth: Trump-backed, election-denying candidate Kari Lake lost to Democrat Katie Dobbs in the Arizona governor race. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump suggests voter fraud in the Arizona governor race. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump attacks Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who may be well positioned to duel the former president in the 2024 White House race. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Many Maga Republicans miss Mr Trump. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump attacks mail-in ballots that allow millions of Americans who are unable to vote on election day to participate. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Some of the Trump supporters that stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, used American flags to attack police officers. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Supporters credit Mr Trump with not starting any new wars. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
How many moves in a game of chess? Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Another ReTruth. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
The 'Greatest Of All Time'? That remains to be seen. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump was expected to announce a new run for the White House on November 15. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump blamed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for Republicans' poor showing in the midterm elections. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump still attracts fierce loyalty from his 'Maga' supporters. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump suggests he would perform better than Ron DeSantis. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
A variation on the election-denying theme. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump has continued to make his baseless claims of election fraud in races he or his fellow Republicans lost. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Another ReTruth. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump returns to his debunked claims of widespread election fraud. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Another teaser for his November 15 announcement. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump 'ReTruths' a message from a follower. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
The 'legend' will be 78 at the 2024 election, the same age Joe Biden was when he got elected. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump is expected to announce he will run again for president in 2024. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Mr Trump teases his announcement on November 15. Photo: Screengrab from Truth Social -
Truth Social is only available in the US, Canada and Brazil. Reuters
