William Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts, announced Monday that he will challenge President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination for president in 2020.
"I'm in!" Weld said in a tweet announcing his candidacy.
Weld, who ran for vice president on the 2016 Libertarian Party ticket headed by presidential nominee Gary Johnson, is the first Republican to declare a bid to deny Trump a second term in the White House.
The Republican National Committee has taken steps to head off a potential primary challenger, voting to express its “undivided support” for the president. And the Trump campaign has been staffing up with party insiders to map out a delegates strategy to ensure there are no surprises at the 2020 convention.
A group of “Never Trump” Republicans led by Weekly Standard found Bill Kristol have been holding meetings about recruiting a primary challenger against Trump. The group has not decided on a potential challenger but does not view Weld as a top recruit.