Trump to express confidence for GOP in midterms, then White House bid, in closing RNC donor speech

Former President Trump is set on Saturday night to deliver the final address for the Republican National Committee's weekend donor summit in which he's expected to raise the possibility that someone else will be the GOP's next presidential nominee.

Trump's message is in prepared remarks obtained by the Associated Press. The former president will address donors in a closed-door speech at his Mar-a-Lago resort home, in Palm Beach, Fla., several miles from a resort hotel in which much of the invitation-only event is being held. 

Trump is expected to deliver a speech focused on party unity that GOP officials hope will ease some of the intra-party feuding over his continued leadership in party politics, his commitment to party fundraising and whether he'll seek reelection in 2024. 

He is already playing a significant role in next year's midterm elections in which Republicans hope to retake control of the Senate and House, a scenario pollsters see as likely in the lower chamber considering the party that doesn't control the White House historically does well in the next election cycle.

Trump has already put his support behind GOP Sens. Marco Rubio, of Florida, and Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, though Johnson has yet to commit to running for another term.

"We are gathered tonight to talk about the future of the Republican Party – and what we must do to set our candidates on a course to victory," Trump says in prepared remarks. "I stand before you this evening filled with confidence that in 2022, we are going to take back the House and we are going to reclaim the Senate – and then in 2024, a Republican candidate is going to win the White House."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a top-tier potential 2024 candidate, is also expected to address donors Saturday night.

Earlier in the weekend, several other potential candidates spoke at the donor retreat including  South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a close Trump ally also spoke, the wire service also reports.