She noted that President Trump’s back-to-back victories in both the Iowa Caucus and the New Hampshire primary were history-making, and said it’s an indication that Republicans need to unite behind him.
“I don’t see it for Nikki Haley,” Ms. McDaniel told Fox News.
“I do think there is a message that’s coming out from the voters, which is very clear: we need to unite around our eventual nominee, which is going to be Donald Trump. And we need to make sure we beat Joe Biden.”
While she was careful to emphasize that she wasn’t speaking for the RNC, she called on the Haley campaign to “reflect” on their path forward.
“If she came in second here, I don’t see the path,” Ms. McDaniel said. “President Trump won by double-digits in both states. This is unprecedented. This isn’t the RNC speaking, this isn’t the establishment speaking—this is the voters speaking.”
“I’m just saying look at the path and the math and I think you have to reflect tonight,” she added. “I think it’s time to move forward and I think Donald Trump is going to be the nominee.”
Trump Supporters Celebrate Victory at Primary Watch Party
As former President Donald Trump celebrated his New Hampshire primary victory in Nashua, some of his supporters shared their excitement with The Epoch Times.
“We are standing forward for America first, and we care about the country and every person that lives in it. We stand for American freedom. We stand for the Constitution, and we stand for winning.”
Christine Doherty, 47, of Somerville, Massachusetts, found the experience “so amazing.”
“Trump is gonna take it all,” she said. “It’s just like, you know, you worry and you’re like, what’s gonna happen to this country and you’re worrying for three years. And then you don’t know how Trump is gonna do and then he comes back and he’s just winning, winning, winning. It’s just super exciting.”
Ms. Doherty’s younger sister, Anne, was excited about watching the primary called live. She also shared her thoughts about the other GOP candidate, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
“I think she’s just living in dreamland,” she said. “But … I do like to give everybody a fair shot. So I thought that I can understand. I wouldn’t want someone to be, like, my vote didn’t count. But in reality, I think she’s living in a dream.”
Trump: ‘We Just Won Nevada’
In his New Hampshire Republican primary victory speech in Nashua, former President Donald Trump declared that he won Nevada.President Trump said his opponent, Nikki Haley, was now focused on South Carolina, although the next contest will be in Nevada.
“They took polls, and I was polling at 95 percent to 4 or 5 percent, and they decided not to play in Nevada. So we just won Nevada,” the Republican front-runner said.
The Silver State will hold a presidential primary for GOP candidates on Feb. 6 and caucuses on Feb. 8. Former President Trump is certain to win the Nevada caucuses as Ms. Haley will not participate.
He encouraged Ms. Haley to drop out and “do what’s good for our party.”
“And she was up and she’s doing a speech like she won. She didn’t win. She lost,” President Trump stated.
Looking ahead to the Feb. 24 Republican South Carolina primary, the polls show the billionaire real estate mogul with a commanding 30-point lead over Ms. Haley.
Trump Opens Victory Speech By Attacking Haley
Former President Donald Trump took the stage in New Hampshire after being called winner in the first-in-the-nation primary, and immediately went after former Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley.“She had a very bad night and you have… the now very unpopular governor of this state,” he said in Nashua.
He criticized her for making her speech with only seven percent of the vote counted, and that she was still staying in the race.
“We had an unbelievable week, last week and Iowa,” he said. “We set a record. It was the best in the history of the caucus in the history. And I remember I sort of had the same feeling. I’m up and I’m watching and I said, ‘she’s taking a victory lap and we beat her so badly.’”
He also took a shot at her for not being able to get Republican votes.
“The other thing she only got 25 percent of the Republican votes,” he said. “I don’t know if you saw the tremendous numbers of independents came out because in this day, because you have a governor that doesn’t frankly know what the hell he’s doing in this state. In the Republican primary. They accept Democrats to vote.”
“She did very poorly, actually,” he said. “She had to win. The governor said she’s gonna win. She’s gonna win. She’s gonna win. Then she, she failed badly.”
With more than 40 percent of the vote counted, President Trump is holding an eleven-point lead over Ms. Haley.
Biden Campaign Reacts to New Hampshire Primaries
The Biden campaign issued a statement about the New Hampshire primary results, expressing concern about former President Donald Trump’s victory.“Tonight’s results confirm Donald Trump has all but locked up the GOP nomination, and the election denying, anti-freedom MAGA movement has completed its takeover of the Republican Party,” the statement read.
“Trump is offering Americans the same extreme agenda that has cost Republicans election after election: promising to undermine American democracy, reward the wealthy on the backs of the middle class, and ban abortion nationwide.”
The campaign made no mention of the incumbent president’s victory in Tuesday’s largely symbolic Democratic primary in New Hampshire, thanks to write-in votes from his supporters. President Biden refused to campaign or appear on the Granite State’s ballot.
“While we work toward November 2024, one thing is increasingly clear today: Donald Trump is headed straight into a general election matchup where he’ll face the only person to have ever beaten him at the ballot box: Joe Biden.”
Haley Supporters Confident After Her Second-Place Finish in New Hampshire
CONCORD, N.H.—Supporters of Nikki Haley were optimistic following her coming in a close second to former President Donald Trump in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday night.“This is the beginning of a race,” said Alan Leo, a 68-year-old retired New Hampshirite who cast his vote for Ms. Haley. The former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador can stay in the race as long as she has the financial resources, he added.
Dave Cerveny of neighboring Massachusetts–whose primary is on March 5, Super Tuesday–was content with Ms. Haley’s performance.
“Obviously, the goal was to numerically win,” Mr. Cerveny said.
“But she did what she needed to do here,” he continued. “She came out of nowhere and now she’s running neck and neck. So you can’t consider it anything but a positive experience.”
Mr. Cerveny said that Ms. Haley’s close finish should put people on notice.
“What I hope will happen is that now she‘ll be seen as a legitimate contender and more people will be willing to see her as a leader and a true competitor for the nomination, that they’ll be more inclined to join and that'll help build the momentum,” he said.
George Hansel, the former mayor of Keene, N.H., where Ms. Haley won with 55 percent of the vote, said the result exemplifies her momentum.
“That’s going to make the other folks in these early primary states start to pay attention, for sure,” he said.
Ms. Haley presents herself as “an authentic person with a great background, great temperament and experience,” Mr. Hansel said.
Juliana Bergeron, who is on the executive committee of the New Hampshire GOP and is being neutral in the GOP primary, was impressed with Ms. Haley getting, as of this writing, 45.4 percent of the vote compared with President Trump’s 53.2 percent.
She called the result “great” and said she has “some hope.” She also said that South Carolina is not a must-win for the former governor of the Palmetto State.
“I think when it’s Donald Trump … if you come close to him, that’s a good thing.”
Democratic Candidate Dean Phillips Vows to Stay in the Race
Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) announced that he would continue to challenge President Joe Biden after a strong showing in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary.With 43 percent of results in, Mr. Phillips has pulled in around 20 percent support in the Granite State.
“This is not just a campaign. I know as a candidate; this is the beginning of a movement,” he told his supporters.
Mr. Phillips congratulated President Biden on his victory but stated that the incumbent could not defeat former President Donald Trump.
“Joe Biden is a good man; he’s a fine man. Yes, he is, everybody. He’s our president. But I gotta tell you, everyone, he cannot win. The polls are saying he cannot win; his approval numbers are saying he can’t win.”
Mr. Phillips also recognized Nikki Haley’s achievements in New Hampshire.
“I want to celebrate Nikki Haley tonight. She has to stay in this race and still try to take that man down,” he said, referring to the former president.
“I know the exhausted majority of this country—center-right and center-left Americans—would much rather see a Nikki Haley-Dean Phillips matchup this November.”
Haley: ‘Race is Far From Over’
CONCORD, N.H.—Nikki Haley addressed passionate supporters appearing happy to have placed second in New Hampshire, saying she is staying in the race. As of 8:26 p.m. with 23 percent of the votes counted, Haley had 46 percent of the vote to former President Donald Trump’s 52 percent.“New Hampshire is first in the nation,” she said. “It is not last in the nation.
“This race is far from over” as there are more states in play.
She congratulated President Trump on winning the primary.
“A Trump nomination is a Biden win and a Kamala Harris presidency,” she said.
Ms. Haley reiterated her call for President Trump, who is dominating in the polls, to debate her.
“Our fight is not over because we have a country to save,” she said. “We are just getting started.”
Ms. Haley expressed confidence that South Carolina, where she was governor between 2011 and 2017, will go for her again as she said she will beat the “establishment.” Many prominent South Carolina officials have endorsed Trump.
“We’re going home to South Carolina.”
Trump Party Erupts in Cheers, ‘USA!’ Chanting
NASHUA, N.H.–The election-night watch party for former President Donald Trump erupted in cheers as news spread that various news organizations had declared him the winner of the first-in-nation primary.Shortly after 8 p.m., a lone reporter from one news outlet shouted, “AP called the race for Trump,” but no one seemed to notice.
Moments later, however, the news started to ripple through the crowd of several hundred people. The revelers applauded, pumped their fists in the air and cheered. Then they joyously chanted, “USA! USA!” which is a staple at the former president’s campaign rallies.
The Associated Press called this race almost immediately after the polls closed at 8 p.m. Eastern.
The news organization also made a swift victory declaration for President Trump in Iowa on Jan. 15, about 30 minutes after people were required to be at their caucus locations.
At 8:15 p.m., President Trump posted to his Truth Social account “Haley said she had to win in New Hampshire.” He then wrote, in all capital letters: “She didn’t!!!”
As Haley’s image appeared on two TV screens at the front of the room, a low-volume chorus of boos came from the crowd.
Biden Wins New Hampshire Via Write-In
Incumbent President Joe Biden is projected to have won a write-in campaign in New Hampshire.Trump Wins New Hampshire
NASHUA, N.H.–President Donald Trump defeated former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire Republican primary election on Jan. 23, according to The Associated Press.
The victory dashed Ms. Haley’s hopes for an upset against the former president in a state where she performed best in polling before voters marked their ballots.
For decades, New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary has served as a reliable proving ground for Republican presidential hopefuls.
Going into the Jan. 23 election, the former president enjoyed a 17-point polling lead over Ms. Haley in the Granite State, according to an average of polls maintained by RealClearPolitics. The accuracy of those polls was thrown off-kilter when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis exited the race on Jan. 21 and endorsed President Trump.
‘And Then There Was One’
NASHUA, N.H.–Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) says the theme for this Tuesday evening can be summed up with five words.“And then there was one,” he said, letting the phrase sink in.
Mr. Donalds spoke to The Epoch Times at an election-night watch party at the Sheraton Hotel here.
He was referring to former President Donald Trump likely defeating candidate Nikki Haley, the former United Nations ambassador who is his sole remaining challenger.
Originally, more than a dozen major candidates were vying for the Republican presidential nomination. But one by one, they suspended their campaigns.
Mr. Donalds predicted the former president would emerge the winner when New Hampshire citizens’ votes were counted.
“It’s gonna be a big night tonight. I think this is gonna be the start of the presidential campaign for the general election,” Mr. Donalds declared.
Mr. Donalds and other invited guests were filling a ballroom here, awaiting remarks from the former president sometime after the last polling places were to close at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
The congressman predicted that Democrat President Joe Biden might hit the campaign trail once a week. But he thinks President Trump will launch a full-court press.
“What you’re going to see is President Trump around this country in key states, taking this message to all voters, not just Republican voters,” he said. “We have the recipe for what ails America and we’re going to demonstrate that.”
Last Polls Close in New Hampshire
The final polls in New Hampshire have now closed as results continue to stream in.With 18 percent reporting at the time the polls closed, President Donald Trump was leading former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley by around 10 percentage points.
Exit Poll: Haley Dominates ‘Undeclared’ Voters
As the primary votes begin to be counted across New Hampshire, exit poll results are showing differences between those who voted for former President Donald Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Notably, they show that Trump voters are Republicans.According to a CNN exit poll, 70 percent of poll participants who cast their ballots for Ms. Haley were registered undeclared when they showed up to vote. Only 27 percent of those polled identified as registered Republicans.
Meanwhile, 70 percent of President Trump’s supporters said they were registered Republicans, and 27 percent were registered undeclared.
Ms. Haley is expected to get a significant number of independent and Democrat votes due to New Hampshire’s semi-open primary system.
First Polls Now Closed in New Hampshire
As the clock struck 7:00 p.m., New Hampshire polls began closing on the first-in-the-nation primary.For those that were due to close at the top of the hour, the doors would be closed, but those who were already inside would get the chance to still cast their vote.
Voting results will begin to come in shortly, and the state’s last polls will be closed at 8:00 p.m.
Stage Set for Nikki Haley’s Watch Party
CONCORD, N.H.—The stage is set at Nikki Haley’s watch party at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.Most polls closed moments ago with the remainder open until 8 p.m. ET.
Ms. Haley is expected to place in second behind former President Donald Trump—who has been dominating in the polls—as the question remains by how much. Nonetheless, Ms. Haley has said she will go on to her home state of South Carolina, where she was governor between 2011 and 2017 and whose primary is on Feb. 24.
Only cameramen, TV journalists, and Haley supporters are allowed into the ballroom at the conference center as print journalists are confined to filing rooms.
Trump Slams Democrats, Independents Voting in NH Primary
Former President Donald Trump disagreed with Democrats and independents being allowed to vote in the New Hampshire Republican primary, which has a semi-open system.Writing on Truth Social, the GOP frontrunner also accused President Joe Biden of abandoning the Granite State.
“So ridiculous that Democrats and independents are allowed to vote in the Republican primary, especially since crooked Joe Biden has abandoned New Hampshire. But word is we are doing really well!!!”
According to the exit polls, 8 percent of GOP primary voters identified themselves as Democrats, about double from the previous high in the state’s Republican primary. Forty-five percent considered themselves independent.
Under state law, the primary is semi-open, meaning unaffiliated voters can vote in the Republican primary. Democrats may also switch affiliation to Republican at the polling station.
The Epoch Times spoke with many crossover Democratic and independent New Hampshire voters who participated in the Republican primary.
“I hope Nikki Haley is going to trump Trump.” Kyle Murray, 65, of Wolfesboro, New Hampshire. Mr. Murray is an independent who voted in the Republican primary. His wife, Susan Murray, 64, is a Democrat. “This primary is very frustrating on both sides,” she said. “There is a wealth of people who should be running for president on the Republican side but are not.”
“I’m glad it’s down to two [Republicans]. I’m a big Joe Biden fan.” Joyce Pracuta, 75, of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Ms. Pracuta voted for Nikki Haley “to avoid Donald Trump,” and said a number of the women in her quilt guild did also.
A third of New Hampshire voters are moderates, much higher than the 9 percent in the Iowa caucus. Among the conservative base, fewer than a quarter (24 percent) identify as very conservative compared to 52 percent in The Hawkeye State.
In New Hampshire, Challenged Voters Get Electoral Mugshots—and Trump Was ‘Shocked!’
PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—Stephen Pesci, the moderator at the polling place for Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s first ward, gestured toward the other side of New Franklin School’s gymnasium—the place where locals were voting in the Democratic or Republican presidential primaries.“We take it right up in the front of the room,” he told The Epoch Times.
“It” is a picture, snapped in this case with a Polaroid camera, of would-be voters who cannot provide a valid photo identification and whose identity can’t be verified by the supervisor of the checklist, who is charged with overseeing voter registration.
Identity can also be verified by election officials who recognize the would-be voter. In the words of former New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, someone “vouching” for the person.
The photo, a kind of electoral mugshot, is attached to a duplicate copy of the challenged voter affidavit, which is signed by both the voter and the moderator. The affidavit is then sent to the New Hampshire Secretary of State for further verification steps.
The voter can cast a voter affidavit—but the identity verification process, complete with photograph, is intended to weed out fraud.
The fact that a voter used the affidavit ballot must be added to New Hampshire’s voting registration database.
Mr. Gardner recalled telling former President Donald Trump about the process during a 10-minute conversation.
President Trump was apparently surprised and impressed by the Granite State’s election integrity measures.
“I’m shocked!” President Trump responded, according to Mr. Gardner.
“Only someone from New Hampshire can tell you that,” Mr. Gardner said.
Economy Top Issue for New Hampshire Voters: Exit Poll
Thirty-four percent of New Hampshire voters consider the economy to be the top election issue, according to the results of an NBC News exit poll.Abortion was important to only 11 percent of Granite State voters.
On the topic of illegal immigration, 51 percent think illegal aliens should be deported to the countries they came from, and 45 percent believe they should be offered the chance for legal status.
The network’s New Hampshire GOP primary exit poll found that 56 percent of voters would be satisfied if former President Donald Trump is the Republican nominee heading into the 2024 election. Fifty-five percent would be satisfied if former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley secured the nomination.
But while a majority of voters say they would be content with the Republican front-runner becoming the party’s nominee, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) do not consider themselves to be a part of the MAGA movement. Additionally, 50 percent noted that if President Trump is convicted, he would be fit to be president. Forty-seven percent said the real estate billionaire mogul would not.
Nearly half (49 percent) do not believe President Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 presidential election.
Fewer than half (43 percent) of the voters said the Iowa Caucus results played a vital role in the presidential primary vote.
According to the exit poll, 47 percent of voters identified themselves as Republican, and 45 percent thought of themselves as independent. Eight percent of GOP primary voters were Democrats.
Democratic-Identifying Voters Vote For Haley
“I hope Nikki Haley is going to trump Trump.” Kyle Murray, 65, of Wolfesboro, New Hampshire. Mr. Murray is an independent who voted in the Republican primary. His wife, Susan Murray, 64, is a Democrat. “This primary is very frustrating on both sides,” she said. “There is a wealth of people who should be running for president on the Republican side but are not.”
“I’m glad it’s down to two [Republicans]. I’m a big Joe Biden fan.” Joyce Pracuta, 75, of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Ms. Pracuta voted for Nikki Haley “to avoid Donald Trump,” and said a number of the women in her quilt guild did also.
“It’s a shame Biden didn’t get his name on the ballot. I voted for Nikki Haley to get Trump off the ballot.” Dwight Devork, 70, of Wolfesboro, New Hampshire. Mr. Devork (L) is pictured with his daughter, Aja Devork, 40, and Jim Rouillard, 80, who also voted for Haley.
“This election is kind of boring. It’s almost a nonentity for Democrats.” Jonathan Whiting, 72, of Wolfsboro, New Hampshire. Despite the Democratic National Committee declaring the state’s primary “meaningless,” Mr. Whiting maintains that it’s still “our greatest hope” of maintaining democracy in this country. Mr. Whiting wrote in his vote for Joe Biden.
“I wrote in Joe Biden.” Charlene Seibel, 70, Wolfesboro, New Hampshire. Ms. Seibel said she could never vote for a candidate with the values and behavior of Donald Trump.—Lawrence Wilson
Biden Speaks at Abortion-Rights-Focused Reelection Rally
President Joe Biden took the stage in Manassas, Virginia, as young women, positioned on stands behind him, held “Restore Roe” and “Defend Choice” signs and chanted “Four more years,” and “Let’s go, Joe!”“Yesterday marked the 51st anniversary of Roe v Wade, which recognized the women’s constitutional right to choose,” the president said. And the Dobbs’ decision “ripped away” that right.
“The person most responsible for taking away this freedom in America is Donald Trump,” President Biden said, “Trump says he’s proud that he overturned Roe v Wade. He said, and I quote, ‘there has to be punishment for the women that exercise their reproductive freedom.”
He said President Trump is the reason 21 states have abortion bans that make no exceptions for rape or incest and why women are being “forced” to travel out of state.
He also called out Republican Congressmen and the Speaker of the House for trying to pass national bans that include a six-week ban.
“MAGA Republicans are trying to limit all women in America from getting safe and effective medication,” he said.
“Today is not just the day to remember the anniversary of Roe v Wade,” he said. “Today is the day to call action with your voice, with your power, with your vote. We can restore the protections that have been around for over 50 years under Roe v Wade.”
To a cheering audience, he said,
“Give me a Democratic House of Representatives, give me a bigger, bigger Democratic Senate, and we will pass a new law to restore the protections of Roe v Wade and I will sign it immediately.”
On New Hampshire’s Seacoast, Some Voters Back Haley, Fear Trump
PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—At a food-laden table in Portsmouth’s New Franklin School in New Hampshire, volunteer Jenny Viscarolasaga shared her plan for the ongoing primaries with The Epoch Times.“I’m a hardcore Democrat. I’m going to walk in there, switch my party, vote for Nikki Haley, and switch it back,” she declared.
Standing beside her, Jessica Squier chimed in that Ms. Viscarolasaga needed to have changed her registration back in October to be able to vote in the Jan. 23 Republican primary.
“Okay, then I’m not going to do that. I’ll go and write in Biden,” Ms. Viscarolasaga said.
The mood in and around New Franklin School, the polling place for Portsmouth’s Ward One, seemed favorable to Ms. Haley, Mr. Biden, and even one of Mr. Biden’s challengers, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.)—but not for former President Donald J. Trump, who has polled relatively far ahead of Ms. Haley in the Granite State in the days ahead of its first-in-the-nation primary.
Pat Day, a 93-year-old retired special education teacher, told The Epoch Times while standing outside the school that democracy was one of the issues that most concerned her.
“I voted for Biden,” she said, adding that her sister worked for the president “way, way back in Washington, D.C., when he was first getting started.”
Nearby, retired art teacher Sandra Stowe was leaning against a Nikki Haley sign. She said she already voted for the candidate.
Ms. Stowe told The Epoch Times she was worried about the possibility that two elderly men, President Biden and President Trump, would be facing off in the country’s next presidential election.
“We just need younger people—and it would be really nice to have a woman,” she said.
Outside the polling place, students from Mercer College in Georgia held signs, some for Ms. Haley and others for Mr. Phillips—the underdogs in their respective races. They were at the New Hampshire primary as part of a class trip.
Lindsey Tadlock, who was holding a sign for Mr. Phillips, told The Epoch Times she was favoring a candidate other than her party’s standard bearer because the younger Democrat also appealed to democracy.
“He’s working here and wanted to make sure that democracy continued during this primary,” she said.
She didn’t think that Mr. Phillips’ candidacy undermined unity in her party.
“I think that by [President Biden] not being on the [New Hampshire primary] ballot, that already kind of undermines party unity,” she said.
Tysen Dougherty, a Mercer student with a Haley sign, said he was concerned that New Hampshire could be a last opportunity for his candidate of choice to shine.
“My priority personally when I’m showing up to the voting booth is to keep Trump out,” he told The Epoch Times, adding that he had voted for President Biden in 2020.
He wasn’t concerned about a protracted primary diverting Republican resources from congressional races and other contests in 2024.
“I lean more towards the moderate side of the party,” he said.
Biden, Harris Hold Counter-Programming Rally in Virginia
As New Hampshirites headed for the polls to vote in the first-in-the-nation presidential primary on Jan. 23, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were holding a rally in Virginia.On a stage displaying signs like “Restore Roe,” and “Defend Choice,” the rally moved the spotlight away from the contest dominated by former President Donald Trump and the incumbent president’s own reelection bid and focussed instead on the left’s passion for safeguarding reproductive rights.
“Former President Trump hand-picked three Supreme Court Justices because he intended for them to overturn Roe,” Ms. Harris told the crowd. “He intended for them to take your freedoms. He is the architect of this healthcare crisis and he is not done.”
There are more than 20 Democratic candidates on the primary ballot in New Hampshire, but President Biden is not one of them due to the Democratic Party’s attempt to take away New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary status and move it to South Carolina.
A local campaign effort has sought to inspire Democrats in the Granite State to write in President Biden’s name on the ballot. But he is expected to be the nominee regardless of which Democrat gets the most votes. The New Hampshire Democratic primary will award no delegates.
Voter Writes In Protest Over Israel-Hamas War
“I wrote in for a ‘ceasefire for Israel-Palestine.’ I wasn’t really happy with any of the candidates that were on the Democratic ballot. I think the Israel-Palestine conflict has lost President Biden a lot of sway with young voters who are really unhappy with his stance and his policy on the issue.” Amara Phelps, 23, a registered Democrat from Manchester, N.H., who voted for Biden in 2020.—Emel Akan
DeSantis Says GOP Voters Have ‘Checked Out’ of 2024 Primaries
In his first interview since dropping out of the race for the GOP presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he believes Republican voters have “checked out” of the primaries.“[Voters] had basically been told that it was inevitable, that it was over ... they just totally dropped out of the process,” Mr. DeSantis said.
Mr. DeSantis, who dropped out of the race on Jan. 21 and endorsed President Trump, said the low turnout in the Republican Party of Iowa’s Jan. 15 Caucus demonstrated the lack of enthusiasm about the 2024 race.
“That shows you there’s a lot of our voters who have checked out,” Mr. DeSantis said.
He said his experience on the campaign trail demonstrated that while Republican voters may have liked what he, or another GOP challenger, had to say, they ultimately were not going to defect from President Trump.
Mr. DeSantis also blamed “Fox News and the conservative media” for rallying behind President Trump after the legal drama related to his presidency and business practices began.
Along with that, he lamented how the “corporate media” has “flipped almost on a dime” from saying that President Trump cannot be beaten to now saying he doesn’t have enough moderate support to win back the White House. However, he mentioned when he was campaigning in Iowa he encountered voters who said they had voted Republican their entire lives but couldn’t bring themselves to vote for President Trump in 2024.
“That’s a problem,” Mr. DeSantis said. “He’s got to figure out a way to solve that.”
Without naming her, Mr. DeSantis commented on former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley’s chances to survive the New Hampshire presidential primary. He concluded that, if President Trump wins by a large margin on Jan. 23, the momentum and media narrative will be impossible to overcome.
“You’re going to all of a sudden roll into South Carolina, even if it’s a two-man race between these two, and just shift the narrative? How are you going to do that? Are there going to be debates? No,” Mr. DeSantis said. “Are you going to see the media be eager to say that this is a horse race? No, they’ve moved on, basically.”
Finally, Mr. DeSantis was asked if he would consider running again. He said many voters liked him and his message but thought 2024 was not yet his time.
“We'll see .. if we have a country left by 2028,“ Mr. DeSantis said. ”I view 2024 as really a hinge point in American history. And if we don’t get it right, I don’t know what it’s going to look like in the future.”
Concord Voters Sound Off After Casting Ballots
CONCORD, N.H.—As the hours left to vote in the New Hampshire presidential primary ticked down, voters exiting the polls in Concord shared their picks with The Epoch Times.Among them was independent voter Roy Schweiker, who said he voted for North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum because he thought he was the best candidate for the job.
“And yes, I understand he’s dropped out of the race, but I’d like to give him some enthusiasm. Maybe next time.”
Mr. Schweiker added that he found the two leading candidates—President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump—to be “very poor choices” and he hoped there would be a third-party option if they became the respective Democratic and Republican nominees.
Meanwhile, Sheri and William Haubrich said they’d cast their ballots for former President Donald Trump.
“When Trump was in, I paid $250 a month for my heating fuel. And since Biden’s in, it’s up to $550,” Ms. Haubrich said. “$550 from $250 is quite the jump. And I don’t know about you, but my salary has not gone up one bit.”
She pointed to President Trump’s stance on immigration as another contributing factor, noting that she wanted him to finish building the border wall.
“And even though maybe I’d like him to not talk as much, because that’s what aggravates people, I do like what he does,” she said.
Those sentiments were echoed by another voter named Steve, who did not share his last name but said he just felt that life was better under the 45th president.
“He’s not well-liked in this country, I understand that—you know, all those words, and whatnot,” he said. “But at the same time, I think when he was president, our country was in better shape—low gas prices, other countries feared us, everybody had money, everybody had a job.”
“I voted for Donald Trump. As a Christian, I’m not looking for a pastor-in-chief, but I’m looking for somebody who’s going to treat Israel right. And I feel like Democrats have been very antagonistic toward Christians and Jews. And Nikki Haley would be like Joe Biden with a dress, basically.” Greg Salts, 60, Manchester, N.H.
“I wrote in Joe Biden. … We have a law that we need to have first-in-the-nation primary and it has put our officials and our voters in a tough position; it’s not very appreciated. But I ultimately decided to vote for Joe Biden because of the progress that he and his party have made over the last four years.” Lauren Zielinski, 36, Manchester, N.H.
Trump: New Hampshire’s Undeclared Voters Are a ‘Wildcard’
Former President Donald Trump said he takes exception to New Hampshire’s primary election rules.“You do have a wildcard here. You have people that could vote that aren’t Republicans,” President Trump said in an impromptu press scrum outside a polling place in Londonderry, New Hampshire, at about 1:30 p.m. Eastern. “What’s that all about? Nobody ever saw anything like that.”
In New Hampshire, home to some of the loosest voting laws in the United States, registered so-called undeclared voters can choose to vote as a Republican or a Democrat presidential primary and then revert to undeclared status on the same day at the polling site.
According to the New Hampshire Secretary of State, the undeclared voters make up the largest portion of voters in New Hampshire. However, combined, the committed Republican and Democratic voting population is larger than the undeclared voting bloc.
President Trump went on to say he “loves” New Hampshire because he won the Granite State’s Republican primary in 2016, with 35 percent of the vote. The New Hampshire win followed up a narrow loss in the 2016 Republican Party of Iowa’s Caucus to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
“I love New Hampshire, and they love me,” President Trump said. “We’re going to get their energy costs down. You know, they have the highest energy costs in the entire nation. And we’re going to get their energy down 50 percent in one year. That’s my promise to New Hampshire.”
Asked about his last major rival for the 2024 Republican Party nomination, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, President Trump said he “doesn’t care” if she keeps running.
“Let her do whatever she wants, it doesn’t matter,” he said.
President Trump was also shouted numerous questions about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who dropped out of the race on Jan. 21. President Trump said he forgives the candidates who formerly ran against him.
“I’m a very forgiving person,” President Trump said. “I try.”
Before he left, President Trump was asked what he thinks the greatest threat to the country is.
“I actually think the radical left is a tremendous threat to our country,” President Trump said. “I think the RINO Republicans are just stupid people.”
Polling Place in Sanbornton
“I’m not really a supporter of anyone, but I support the person who will check the growth of government, spending in particular. The choices aren’t great.” Richard Grant, Sanbornton, N.H.
“[Voter turnout] has been steady all morning. The vast majority are Republican voters, which makes sense given the cycle we’re in.” Tim Lang, town moderator, Sanbornton, N.H.
A voter in Sanbornton, New Hampshire, prepares to check one of the 24 names appearing on the presidential primary ballot, which includes the names of candidates who have suspended their campaigns.
Dean Phillips: Democrats Are ‘Completely Delusional Right Now’
As presidential primary voters headed to the polls in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Democratic presidential contender Dean Phillips said the current state of the Democratic Party is “completely delusional.”The Minnesota congressman said he had recently taken the opportunity to speak with dozens of Republican voters as they lined up outside one of former President Donald Trump’s campaign events.
The crowd, he added, was “diverse” and consisted of many who had never attended one of the former president’s events before.
“My party is completely delusional right now, and somebody had to wake us up. And if that’s my job, so be it,” he said.
The congressman also said that he would still prefer another term of President Joe Biden over four more years of President Trump. But he stressed that if the former wants to be reelected, he’s going to have to “get in the game” by debating and making his case to the voters.
“The president is doing nothing. … How many interviews has he done? He’s not doing town halls, he’s not showing up,” he said, noting that he had hoped his candidacy would prompt President Biden to do so.
“I’m trying to do him a favor to show up. And if he does, and he does really well in the primaries, and suddenly his numbers rise and he can beat Donald Trump, my goodness, I’d get behind him in a heartbeat. But get in the game.”
Haley Wants A Stronger Performance in New Hampshire Than Iowa
The Haley campaign is adjusting expectations after its biggest backer in the Granite State, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, was calling for a victory in prior weeks.“We want to be stronger in New Hampshire than we were in Iowa, then we want to be stronger in South Carolina than we were in New Hampshire,” former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley said in a CNN interview held in Manchester, New Hampshire, around midday on Tuesday. “When you run an election. You just want to keep getting stronger and stronger and stronger. That’s our goal.”
In the Iowa Caucus, Ms. Haley finished in third place with 19.1 percent of the vote. Former President Donald Trump won with 51 percent.
Ms. Haley, who was interviewed by CNN’s Dana Bash alongside Mr. Sununu, faced a number of questions about the state of the campaign and the expectations for its performance in today’s New Hampshire presidential primary.
Mr. Sununu backpedaled on his earlier comment about winning the primary. He said Ms. Haley could fare well if voters show up on Tuesday.
“We’re out there today; people are coming in, not just in the morning; there’s a steady stream of voters coming in all over the state,” Mr. Sununu said. “So the high voter turnout bodes very well for the challenger.”
Ms. Bash followed up with a question about a campaign memo signed by Ms. Haley’s campaign manager, Betsy Ankney. That memo pledged Ms. Haley would continue to run for the Republican Party’s nomination through so-called Super Tuesday on March 5.
“We just put down a $4 million ad buy in South Carolina,” Ms. Haley said. “We have been running a very smart, strong campaign. We had 14 candidates. It’s now down to two. That’s not because I was lucky. That’s because I outsmarted the rest of them and outworked the rest of them.”
Ms. Haley was then asked about her polling figures. The latest poll in New Hampshire shows she trails President Trump by a margin of more than 20 percent.
“I don’t even want to talk about numbers, and I don’t think you all should either,” Ms. Haley said. “The only numbers I care about is, are people getting out to the polls? What we saw today, people are excited to get out and vote.”
Haley: Trump Has Support of ‘Political Elite,’ Not GOP
HAMPTON, N.H.—Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley pushed back Monday on claims that the GOP has been getting behind former President Donald Trump in his bid to reclaim the White House.“I think it’s not the party uniting around President Trump. It’s the political elite that are uniting around President Trump. And the political elite have never been with me my entire career,” the former South Carolina governor told reporters in Hampton, New Hampshire.
Citing her support for congressional term limits and competency tests for candidates, she asserted that she has “always fought the political elite.”
She added, “I fight the political class, Donald Trump has the political class surrounding him. That’s not what Americans want. The political class has gotten us into this mess. We need a normal real person to get us out of this mess.”
Ms. Haley’s comments pose a sharp contrast to those of President Trump and his supporters, who have pegged her as the “establishment” candidate for the support she has enjoyed from “Democrats, Wall Street, and globalists.”
In a Saturday news release, the Trump campaign contended: “If it weren’t for radical Democrats meddling in the GOP primary, Nikki would be polling in the single digits.”
Haley Campaign Says It Raised $1.5 Million After DeSantis Exit
The Haley campaign says it got a $1.5 million boost after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race.In a Jan. 23 X post, Paul Steinhauser, a national political reporter with Fox News, said the campaign is claiming it raised $1.5 million since Mr. DeSantis suspended his campaign on Jan. 21.
In an email to The Epoch Times, Olivia Perez-Cubas, a spokeswoman for the Haley campaign, confirmed this report.
In a Jan. 23 release attributed to former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley’s campaign manager Betsy Ankney, the campaign reiterated it is not going anywhere and will not even begin to assess where it stands until after the so-called Super Tuesday on March 5.
“With the political class and the DC elites lining up behind Donald Trump, the Haley campaign has a simple message: in America, we have elections, not coronations,” Ms. Ankney said in the release.
Final Poll Shows Trump Widening Lead Over Haley
New Hampshire voters could push former President Donald Trump closer to the nomination on Tuesday, according to the final poll conducted by Suffolk University.On Jan. 23, the day of New Hampshire’s presidential primary, the Boston Globe and other media published the final Granite State poll. It showed President Trump may have 60 percent of the support on Tuesday. His final major Republican opponent, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, may win 38 percent percent of the vote.
The poll was conducted from Jan. 21 to Jan. 22 and reported a margin of error of 4.4 percent. It surveyed 500 likely Republican primary voters. About 1 percent of respondents said they were still undecided.
The Suffolk polls, released daily since Jan. 17, showed a steady rise in support for both President Trump and Ms. Haley. Nevertheless, Ms. Haley is not closing the gap. Instead, the final Suffolk poll shows President Trump is enjoying his most comprehensive lead in its poll to date.
Democrat Calls for Federal Probe of Faked New Hampshire Robocalls
Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.), the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, is calling for a federal investigation into fake robocalls that encouraged New Hampshire voters to sit out the state’s presidential primary election.The calls, placed over the weekend, reportedly told voters that their vote “makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday,” and that voting this week would only help Republicans “in their quest to elect Donald Trump again.”
The recorded message also allegedly used an imitation of President Joe Biden’s voice generated by artificial intelligence.
According to the office of New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, the state’s Department of Justice has already opened its own investigation.
“These messages appear to be an unlawful attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election and to suppress New Hampshire voters,” his office said in a Monday press release. “New Hampshire voters should disregard the content of this message entirely.”
Trump Sets Sights on Biden, Second Term
With the Republican presidential primaries still underway, former President Donald Trump is already looking ahead to the general election in November.In a prerecorded “Fox & Friends” interview that aired on Jan. 23, the president was asked about claims that he was more interested in the general election than the primaries.
“I think that’s true,” he said. “We have a very big job. We have to beat the Democrats. We have to beat Biden—I mean, he is the worst president we’ve ever had, and he’s destroying our country.”
President Trump added that he’s also been mulling who he wants to bring to Washington with him for his second administration.
“I think about it all the time—I can’t tell you now, [but] I want the best people.”
He noted that when he was first elected, he was an outsider in Washington and “didn’t know anybody.” But now, the situation is very different.
“Now, I know everybody. I know the good, the bad, the dumb, the smart—I know everybody. And we’re going to have an incredible team, right from the beginning.”
Rep. Byron Donalds: ‘This Race Is Over’
LACONIA, N.H.—Former President Donald Trump’s former presidential primary rivals joined him and other prominent Republicans on the campaign trail Monday in New Hampshire just hours before the polls were set to open.The clear message echoed by former contenders Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum—as well as Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida—was that the race is now over.
“This race is over. I’m telling you, this thing’s over,” Mr. Donalds told The Epoch Times. “I mean, obviously, we have to get the job done tomorrow. I think we will. As long as that holds, we’re pretty much done.”
While former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is still holding out for a come-from-behind victory Tuesday night, more and more of her fellow Republicans—and South Carolinians—are backing President Trump.
“With how bad Joe Biden has been, we need somebody who can step in on Day One,” and fix things, Mr. Donalds told The Epoch Times and other news outlets. But Ms. Haley and some of the other former candidates, he said, “couldn’t do that.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Burgum said the level of enthusiasm behind President Trump is what launched him to a landslide victory in Iowa, and that it would do the same in New Hampshire.
“Every terrorist group in the world is going to be watching these results because when they see that Donald Trump is going to win the nomination, they know they better start making some different plans.”
Haley Says She’s Going to South Carolina Even If She Doesn’t Finish Strong in New Hampshire
HAMPTON, N.H.—Nikki Haley struck a defiant tone on Jan. 23 as New Hampshire voters cast their ballot in the GOP primary.“We’re going to South Carolina. We have put in the ad buy. We’re there,” she said outside a polling place in response to a question from The Epoch Times about whether she will stay in the race if she does not have a strong showing in the Granite State.
The primary in South Carolina — where she was governor between 2011 and 2017 before becoming U.S. ambassador to the United Nations — is on Feb. 24.
“This has always been a marathon. It’s never been a sprint,” said Ms. Haley. “We wanted to be strong in Iowa. We want to be stronger than that New Hampshire. We’re gonna be even stronger than that in South Carolina. We’re running the tape.”
Ms. Haley had a third-place finish in the Jan. 15 Iowa Caucus.
Ms. Haley has talked about having a strong finish in New Hampshire, though she declined to specify what that would look like.
“We’ll know strong when the numbers come in. It’s not like a certain number,” she said. “I don’t go there and say, ‘Oh, I have to have this number, I have to have that number.’”
Former President Donald Trump is expected to win what is the first-in-the-nation primary as he has been dominating in the polls.
Why Biden Won’t Be on the Ballot
A fight between the Democratic National Committee and the Granite State means that President Joe Biden won’t be on the ballot today. Read more about it here.
Idaho Senator and Congressman Endorse Trump
Former President Donald Trump picked up several endorsements on Monday, including two Idaho congressmen, ahead of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary on Jan. 23.Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) announced their endorsement of President Trump on Jan. 22, saying that America was stronger under his leadership compared to what is now under President Joe Biden.
“Today I add my voice to the growing number of people standing behind Donald Trump because we know he will put America and Americans first,” Mr. Crapo said in a statement.
All four members of Idaho’s congressional delegation have endorsed President Trump. Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) announced their endorsement of the former president earlier this month.
“America was stronger, more prosperous, and safer under the leadership of President Trump,” Mr. Simpson said in a statement, adding that President Biden “is fundamentally out-of-touch with the American people.”
“It’s time for the Republican Party to come together so we can defeat Joe Biden in November,” Mr. Simpson urged. “I encourage my fellow Idahoans to participate in the upcoming Presidential Caucus on March 2nd and join me in supporting President Trump.”
CatholicVote Endorses Trump: ‘Our Catholic Way of Life Is on the Ballot’
One of the nation’s largest Catholic advocacy groups, CatholicVote, officially endorsed former President Donald Trump on Monday, urging Catholic voters in New Hampshire to rally behind him in the upcoming presidential primary.The organization, which had initially maintained neutrality in the primary, shifted its stance as the GOP field narrowed to two contenders, President Trump and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.
“The choice is now clear,” declared CatholicVote President Brian Burch, emphasizing the importance of selecting a candidate capable of defeating incumbent President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
“I know many Catholics are divided over whether Trump is the best candidate to defeat Biden. But that’s also what primaries are for. The only two candidates that remain are Trump and Haley,” added Mr. Burch. “And the choice is a no-brainer.”
Mr. Burch highlighted President Trump’s achievements in office, including overseeing a robust economy and appointing three Supreme Court justices, leading to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“We need a general to lead us,” he asserted, stressing the necessity of a leader who is unafraid to fight for truth.
New Hampshire’s Largest Newspaper Endorses Dean Phillips
New Hampshire’s largest newspaper, the Union Leader, has thrown its support behind Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), labeling him a “reasonable alternative” for Democrats to incumbent President Joe Biden.The endorsement comes as Mr. Phillips, a long-shot Democratic candidate, faces an uphill battle to unseat the sitting president and beat GOP frontrunner, former President Donald Trump.
The Union Leader’s editorial, published on Jan. 22, urged Democratic voters to consider Mr. Phillips, even as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) canceled its primary in New Hampshire, seeking to cede its first-state privilege to South Carolina.
New Hampshire officials, however, declined the request, adding a layer of complexity to the state’s primary process.
“We have met many presidential primary candidates over the years. We have always let our readers know who we thought to be the best choice among the many contenders,” reads the editorial.
“Some of you may be handed a Democratic ballot on Tuesday and if so, you should consider Dean Phillips,” the editorial added.
New Hampshire’s Six Midnight Primary Voters Pick Haley
DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H.—The only township in the state adhering to New Hampshire’s midnight voting tradition in the 2024 primary, has issued a verdict.All six voters cast their ballots for Nikki Haley. Voting started at midnight and polls closed at 12:06 a.m.
After the ballots were removed and counted, the resident and primary official overseeing the primary, Tom Tillotson, showed observers the empty ballot box.
Cory Pesaturo serenaded the audience with an electric accordion rendition of the National Anthem before voting began. A dog wandered through the scene as well, delighting observers.
The rest of the state will start voting in the morning when polls open, generally at some point from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Polling suggests the rest of the state may not go the way of Dixville Notch. President Donald Trump held a double-digit lead over Ms. Haley on Jan. 22 in an average of polls maintained by RealClearPolitics.
