(PresidentialWire.com)- There have been a lot of names thrown around as to who could run for the 2024 Republican nomination for president.
But, recently, a new dark horse candidate has emerged.
Robert O’Brien, who is a former national security adviser, is the newest potential entrant into the GOP nominee sweepstakes. He has been counseling GOP candidates for the 2022 midterm elections on foreign policy, while also planning events that will bolster the Republican Party’s efforts to recapture majorities in both the House and Senate.
O’Brien was recently the headline speaker at a panel on foreign policy for a donor retreat. That event was held in Washington and hosted by Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader in the House.
O’Brien has put his endorsement behind multiple candidates in Republican primary elections. He has supported Carla Sands, a former ambassador, for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania.
He’s also scheduled to be the headliner at a September fundraising event for J.D. Vance, a candidate for Senate in Ohio.
The Washington Examiner also O’Brien has been upping his activity politically recently, and has become a regular on the speaking circuit for the GOP. This has all pushed him into the prominent view for a potential 2024 run for president.
The person who runs the political operation for McCarthy, Brian Jack, commented on the situation:
“Ambassador O’Brien’s breadth of experience — from hostage negotiation to crafting foreign policy — offers tremendous value to candidates, particularly those who haven’t yet developed a foreign policy platform. He’s knowledgeable, likable, and has great lessons people like to learn.”
Former President Donald Trump appointed O’Brien as a special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, based on his experience as an ambassador. He also served as Trump’s fourth national security adviser.
O’Brien has roots with the long-standing traditional wing of the GOP. At the same time, he has created a nice bridge between that wing and the Trump supporters in the Republican Party, since he has been considered a loyalist to Trump.
This all could make O’Brien a nice dark horse candidate in 2024 if Trump himself decides not to run again.
If O’Brien does enter the fray, he’ll have much more notable names to contend against. That could include former ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Despite the fact that he’d be the least recognizable name among that crowd, O’Brien could surprise a lot of people because of his experience and his reach across the entirety of the GOP and its followers.
He’s also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which could bring him a lot of supporters in some of the western states of the country. States like Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Arizona all have a strong membership to that church, which could give him surprising victories in the primaries.
The potential race just keeps getting more interesting.
