Former US President Donald Trump on Saturday asked New Hampshire voters to help him secure the Republican nomination before his rivals find their mark with the campaign opening in just weeks.
His appearance in Durham is part of a tour by the former president of early primary states, as he showcases his wide lead in the polls over a dwindling number of Republican Party candidates . They are trying to block his political comeback as Mr. Trump faces multiple indictments and eyes a possible rematch with President Joe Biden, the Democrat he lost to in 2020.
“We’re going to win the New Hampshire primary, and then we’re going to crush dishonest Joe Biden next November,” Mr. Trump said, reminding his supporters that he had assured their state would continue to host the nation’s first primary after the Iowa kickoff caucuses.
Mr. Trump said New Hampshire will eliminate “Republicans in name only,” referring to his rivals Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, and Nikki Haley, Mr. Trump’s former ambassador to the United Nations.
New Hampshire’s primary will be held on January 23, eight days after Iowa begins the nominating process on January 15. Nevada and South Carolina are next in the early stages, ahead of Super Tuesday on March 5, when the largest cumulative number of delegates are up for grabs in a single day of the election calendar. Donald Trump’s campaign sees a way for him to secure the nomination before elections open on Super Tuesday.
“What’s really important from our perspective is being able to win the early states,” Chris LaCivita, a senior campaign adviser, told Right Side Broadcasting, minutes before Mr. Trump mounted on the scene. “Win Iowa, win New Hampshire, win Nevada, win South Carolina – it’s over. This is our goal. »
Before the rally, Mr. Trump’s campaign announced the support of former state Senate President Chuck Morse, now running for governor. Mr Morse, who ran for US Senate last year but lost the primary to a candidate closer to Mr Trump, told the crowd it was time for Republicans to “come together around a candidate who can not only win, but also get the job done for our country.”
“He did it once and he will do it again,” Mr. Morse said.
Gov. Chris Sununu on Tuesday backed Mme Haley, who is battling Governor DeSantis to become a plausible alternative to Donald Trump. Mr. Sununu, a frequent critic of Mr. Trump who has shrugged off the 2024 White House race, argued that Republicans who have “no path to victory must have the courage to walk away” from the their party’s primaries in order to stop Mr. Trump.
A November New Hampshire poll by CNN and the University of New Hampshire found that Mme Haley was in second place, far behind Mr. Trump, but slightly ahead of fellow candidates Mr. DeSantis and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie.
Donald Trump won the New Hampshire Republican primary twice, but lost the state in both of his general elections. He is confident enough in his dominance of the Republican Party that he spent more time on Saturday opposing Mr. Biden.
“Under the Trump administration, you were better off, your family was better off, your neighbors were better off, your communities were better off, and our country was better off. America was stronger, richer, safer and more confident than ever. You had me behind that desk in the Oval Office,” Mr. Trump said.
That argument resonates with voters like Brandon Sevey, 25, who was attending his first event with Donald Trump from nearby Dover. Mr. Sevey said he had worked in various retail and fast-food jobs and found it easier to find work when Mr. Trump was president. Plus, he likes Mr. Trump’s cheeky side.
“He is loud, unpleasant and annoys people,” said Mr. Sevey. But that’s what I like about him. »