Biden team trying to dig up dirt on potential 2024 rivals including Tucker Carlson, Mike Lindell and Ron DeSantis

JOE Biden's team is attempting to dig up dirt on potential 2024 Republican rivals, including Fox host Tucker Carlson, My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, and Florida Gov Ron DeSantis.

Despite the next presidential election being more than 1,200 days away, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has identified 49 Republicans it believes could run for the presidency in 2024.

It has also established a team of 25 people to carry out the research with plans to expand it to 50 researchers, Politico reports.

Other potential candidates identified include former president Donald Trump who floated a bid for reelection on Tuesday night.

Politico reports that the DNC believes Trump's election in 2016 has lowered the barriers for entry to the presidential race.

As a result, the list of GOP rivals includes both politicians and conservative names with no political experience.

Other names being researched include former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov and US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Sens Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Rick Scott of Florida.

The group is focusing on more than 20 names it believes could be a contender for Biden, The Hill reports.

The research was reportedly started shortly after the inauguration, as the DNC also beefed up its fundraising and organizing operations for both the 2022 midterms and the 2024 cycle. 

The team is being led by research director Nick Bauer and includes Roger Lau, who managed Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s presidential bid; the DNC's political director, Alana Mounce; and Pete Kavanaugh, a former deputy campaign manager for President Biden.

According to the New York Post, the size of the Republican primary field for 2024 is likely to be contingent on whether Trump announces a bid.

It is expected to be historically large if Trump decides not to run for election.

In an interview with Daily Wire's Candace Owens on Tuesday, the ex-president hinted at a run and said fans will be "very happy" when he makes a "certain announcement."

“I’m absolutely enthused,” Trump said.

“I look forward to doing an announcement at the right time. As you know, it’s very early. But I think people are going to be very, very happy when I make a certain announcement."

Trump stopped short of officially declaring his candidacy.

If he had done so, he would have been required to disclose his finances, and election laws would dictate how he could spend his money until the election.

“You know, for campaign finance reasons, you really can’t do it too early because it becomes a whole different thing,” the former president added.

“Otherwise, I’d give you an answer that I think you’d be very happy with. So, we are looking at that very, very seriously, and all I’d say is stay tuned.”

At one point, Owens joked about joining Trump as his vice president on the 2024 ticket, an idea the ex-president described as "fantastic".

"What a good choice that would be," he said. "That would be fantastic. You would be fantastic."

Owens responded: "I guess I'll take you at your word, that in 2024 Trump and Owens are going to be on the ticket."

Last week sources close to Trump told CNN he has initiated conversations with advisers about restarting his signature Make America Great Again rallies.

Having told Owens his decision would be confirmed "at the right time", Trump previously suggested to Don Bongino that the announcement would be made after the 2022 midterm races conclude.

"So I'm giving it very serious consideration," Trump said on Bongino's podcast.

It comes as Facebook announced that it is maintaining its ban on the former president from its platform.

The site's independent Oversight Board made the decision to uphold restrictions on Trump's account on Wednesday morning.

He was indefinitely banned from Facebook back in January after hundreds of his supporters stormed the US Capitol, leaving five dead.

"Given the seriousness of the violations and the ongoing risk of violence, Facebook was justified in suspending Mr. Trump’s accounts on January 6 and extending that suspension on January 7," the board found this morning.

However, the board did insist that it was "not appropriate" for the board to indefinitely suspend the then-president.

"It is not permissible for Facebook to keep a user off the platform for an undefined period, with no criteria for when or whether the account will be restored," the board determined, adding that Facebook "did not follow a clear, published procedure."

A survey in March by Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio revealed that Pence and DeSantis will lead the field if the former president decides not to run.

It is also not certain that Biden, 78, will run for reelection, despite recently reiterating he plans to.

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