Will we see a repeat of 2016 in 2024?

If President Trump remains the front-runner, the Republican field will need to rally around an alternative to far earlier than what happened in 2016.

Five of the 2016 Republican Party presidential candidates, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, and Mike Huckabee joined host, Frank Luntz, at the Presidential Family Forum in Des Moines, Iowa. Credit: Gage Skidmore

The Republican presidential field for 2024 is getting crowded. 

So far, the field consists of:

• Former President Donald Trump

• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

• Former Vice President Mike Pence

• Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley

• U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina

• Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

• Ohio investor Vivek Ramaswamy

• Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson

• Michigan businessman Perry Johnson

• North Dakota Governor Doug Bergum

• Dallas businessman Ryan Binkley

• Former conservative media personality Larry Elder

• Miami Mayor Francis Suarez

So far, 13 declared candidates, six shy of what we saw in 2016, but there still could be a candidate (or two) enter the race. It would be a big mistake to jump in the race any later than June as it puts candidates at a tremendous fundraising and staffing disadvantage. That never seems to stop some candidates who think they can be the ones to overcome that disadvantage. They won't.

President Trump, in a press release on Wednesday announcing a $ 6.6 million fundraising haul since his indictment, claimed he had an insurmountable lead with national and statewide polling.