“In order to make America great and glorious again, I tonight am announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” Trump said.
Earlier, the former president referenced “the blood-soaked streets of our once-great cities”, echoing his 2017 inaugural “American carnage” speech.
Trump has also formally filed a statement of candidacy for a 2024 presidential bid.
According to polls, he will immediately become the front-runner for the Republican nomination despite last week’s lack of a “red wave” during the midterm election – after which Democrats held the Senate and lost the House by a much smaller-than-anticipated number.