If Trump decides to run, the Republican National Committee, state and county chairs, and fundraisers will be left to determine whether the leader of their party — who isn’t currently president — should, in fact, be treated as an incumbent president. Trump’s popularity, his influence on the base, and yes, the fact that he’s the last Republican president to hold office will make structuring an equitable primary complicated.

“I mean, we do see him as an incumbent,” Republican Indian River County Chair Jay Kramer told BuzzFeed News. The county, Florida’s seventh wealthiest (and among the top 5% wealthiest per capita in the nation), encompasses Vero Beach and attracts an affluent donor base. “I mean, you know, Trump, for the most part when it comes to fundraising, I mean, we can’t say no to the guy,” he added.

This problem isn’t isolated to Trump’s home state. If he runs ⁠— and he has consistently suggested he will, including at CPAC last weekend⁠ — Republican officials nationwide will have to navigate the first Republican presidential campaign from a former president in more than a century. The RNC continuing to pay a portion of Trump’s legal fees a year after he left office indicates how close Trump and the Republican brand remain. But this week, the RNC told BuzzFeed News each 2024 presidential candidate would have equal access to its resources, including a $350 million voter file database the organization has been cultivating since 2012.