Hampshire’s Midnight Primary Voters Choose Haley
DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H.—The only township in the state adhering to New Hampshire’s midnight voting tradition in the 2024 primaries has issued a verdict in the first-in-the-nation spectacle.All six voters cast their ballots for Nikki Haley.
Voting started at midnight on Monday and polls closed at 12:06 a.m. Tuesday.
Cory Pesaturo serenaded the crowd with an electric accordion rendition of the national anthem before voting started. One of
Dixville Notch’s dogs wandered through the scene as voting began.
The rest of New Hampshire will start voting in about six hours until 7 or 8 p.m. in the evening.
Andrew Yang: Joe Biden Can’t Defeat Trump in November
MANCHESTER, N.H.—Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang said that President Joe Biden is not the right candidate to beat former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election.Last week, Mr. Yang endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and began campaigning alongside him.
The Minnesota Democrat represents the best chance to defeat Donald Trump, Mr. Yang told The Epoch Times during a campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire.
He added that an electoral race dominated by 80-year-olds does not reflect the choices of most Americans.
According to Mr. Yang, Dean Phillips’ campaign is going to see significant momentum, beginning in the Granite State on Jan. 23.
“Incumbent presidents historically get 80 to 84 percent of the vote in New Hampshire, and I think that Dean is going to do very well, and Joe Biden is going to do considerably worse than the norm for an incumbent president,” he said of Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary.
“And I think that that should really spur conversation and competition. The American people deserve a Democratic nominee who will defeat Trump in the fall, and the numbers show that Joe Biden is not that candidate.”
When asked whether he would still support President Biden if Dean Phillips doesn’t secure the nomination, Mr. Yang did not provide a direct response.
He said he would support anyone who could prevent President Trump from returning to the White House.
“Unfortunately, I think Joe Biden was the right candidate in 2020. I do not think he’s the right candidate in 2024.”
The New Hampshire Democratic primary is on Tuesday, but the president’s name will not be on the ballot in the Granite State. This is due to a change in the Democratic National Committee’s rules, which designated South Carolina as the first formal primary in the Democratic presidential nomination cycle.
However, New Hampshire’s Secretary of State, bound by the state’s Constitution, ignored the Democrats’ new rule and set the primary for Jan. 23. Supporters of President Biden launched a campaign, asking New Hampshire voters to write in his name on voting slips.
Trump Says He’ll ‘Free the J6ers’
Former President Donald Trump said he would free those arrested, convicted, and detained in connection to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach.While President Trump was speaking at a rally in Laconia, New Hampshire, his final campaign stop before the first in the nation primary election, someone called out “Free the J6ers!”
“We will,” President Trump replied.
The comment falls in line with past comments President Trump has made vowing to free several of those held on charges related to Jan. 6.
Trump: ‘We’re Not Going to Let Them Cheat’ in 2024
Former President Donald Trump vowed that he and his supporters won’t let Democrats cheat in the 2024 election.He called President Joe Biden “a weak man who cheats like hell.”
“That’s the only thing they’re good at. They cheat at elections like no one’s ever cheated before,” President Trump continued. “We’re not going to let them cheat in 2024.”
“Everybody’s watching. It’s going to be very hard. They’re going to try … because that’s their natural instinct.”
The remark came as concerns continue to linger over the validity of the 2020 election and claims that that race was marked by widespread fraud.
Hecklers Interrupt Trump Speech in New Hampshire
President Donald Trump faced interruptions from three hecklers during a speech in Laconia, New Hampshire.The hecklers, whose remarks were unclear, appeared to be climate protestors who’ve recently crashed a series of GOP events in the state.
The interrupters were quickly escorted out by security, facing boos and jeers from President Trump’s supporters as they left.
The hecklers heralded back to an earlier day of President Trump’s political tenure, when hecklers were commonplace. However, recently President Trump hasn’t faced much strong opposition during his rallies.
Trump Opens Rally with Ramaswamy, Burgum, Scott
Former President Donald Trump invited several former Republican presidential candidates onto the stage at his rally in Laconia, New Hampshire.Joining President Trump was North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
“Now is the time for the Republican Party to come together,” President Trump said. “We have to unify.”
“Right now, we need a commander-in-chief who will lead us to victory in this war,” said Mr. Ramaswamy. “That is this man standing right here.
“If you want to seal the border, vote Trump. If you want to restore law and order in this country, vote Trump. If you want to defeat the deep state, vote Trump. If you want to fight inflation, vote Trump. If you want to revive national pride in this country, vote Trump. If you want to revive our national identity in this country, for Trump. If you want to make America great again, vote Trump.”
Mr. Ramaswamy’s repetition turned into a chant. He then turned the podium over to Mr. Burgum.
“Biden has been a disaster on the economy,” the governor said. “He has been a disaster on energy, and he has been a disaster on national security, including the border.
“Under Donald J. Trump, our cities were safer. Our country was safer, and we were absolutely economically better off than we are today. Now Joe Biden’s energy policies are empowering … dictators, and they’re hurting our economy.
“They’re raising the prices of what you pay for gas in your car, food on your table and energy to heat your homes. We need Donald Trump America needs Donald Trump.”
Up next was Mr. Scott who spent his time on crowd engagement.
“If you want four more years of Donald Trump, let me hear your scream,” he shouted.
The MAGA crowd screamed back.
“If you want the race to be over tomorrow, let me hear you scream,” he said.
Another round of cheers.
“Four more years of low inflation under Donald Trump,” he added. “Four more years of low crime and high law and order under Donald J. Trump.”
President Trump also mentioned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, emphasizing the proper pronunciation of his name rather than using the now-retired nicknamed DeSanctimonious, and saying he ran a great campaign.
On the other hand, he attacked former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley for being a candidate of “globalist RINOs,” among other “very stupid things.’
“If you want a losing candidate who puts America last vote for Nikki Haley,” he said.
Trump: ‘Success’ Will Unify Country
As he made his way around a room of supporters before he took the stage at his final rally before the New Hampshire Republican primary, President Donald Trump took a handful of questions from reporters.NTD correspondent Iris Tao asked how he would unify the country.
His one-word answer: “Success.”
“We’ll win by big margins,” President Trump added when asked whether or not he expected to win by the same margins as he did in Iowa. “We just had a lot of polls coming in in the past hour, and you see what they are, they are very good.”
President Trump goes into the New Hampshire Primary commanding 58.3 percent of the potential primary-goers, according to the latest poll from Trafalgar Group released this afternoon.
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley held 35.8 percent of the voters.
When asked if he thought Ms. Haley would drop out, President Trump chuckled and said, “that’s up to her.”
DeSantis Hints He’d Veto ‘Florida Freedom Fighters Fund’ Bill
As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis carried on through his first full day back in Tallahassee after suspending his presidential campaign, he hinted at being ready to veto a bill that could allow former President Donald Trump to use taxpayer dollars to help with ongoing legal issues.“The fund would provide up to $5 million in financial support to Florida residents running for President who face legal, partisan, political attacks by the Department of Justice or State Attorneys,” Florida’s Department of Financial Services said in a press release.
However, it raised concerns that this would be used to funnel taxpayer money to President Trump’s legal fights.
“We’ve got a Florida Man – Donald Trump – running for President, and he’s facing ongoing legal challenges from Democrats in New York, Washington DC, and Atlanta,” Mr. Patronis said. “The Left is really good at weaponizing the courts, and because President Biden is so unpopular, they’re not just trying to beat Trump at the ballot box, they’re trying to throw him behind bars, which is outrageous.
“We need this Freedom Fighters Fund because, as the Free State of Florida, we’re facing an onslaught of attacks from the federal government against the Sunshine State. If we can help and support a Florida candidate for the White House, that’s just good from a dollars and cents perspective.”
Mr. Patronis endorsed President Trump moments after Mr. DeSantis dropped out of the race and also put his support behind the former president.
Dean Phillips Rules Out ‘No Labels’ Bid
MANCHESTER, N.H.—Democratic presidential contender Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) rejected speculations on Monday, saying that he would not run on the ticket of “No Labels,” a political group exploring an independent bid, during a town hall event in Manchester, New Hampshire.“I will not be the No Labels candidate. There is no scenario where that would make any sense,” he told his supporters on the eve of the first-in-the-nation primary.
Media reports earlier suggested that Mr. Phillips would contemplate running on the No Labels ticket if the general election were to become a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Mr. Phillips blasted the Democratic National Committee (DNC), claiming that it was behind “this nonsense.”
“You know who’s orchestrating this nonsense? The Democratic National Committee. It is organized; it is intentional,” he said. “It is a cult of personality around Joe Biden, everybody, that is so destructive. It is the same thing going on with Donald Trump.”
Mr. Phillips believes that if the 2024 U.S. presidential election were between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Trump would win. He argued that the only chance for an alternative candidate to win would be a group like No Labels that could nominate a candidate capable of attracting votes away from the former president, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or Vivek Ramaswamy, who both dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.
Mr. Phillips believes that he would not be that candidate because he feels he would not draw votes from the former president, nor would moderates or center-right/left politicians such as Joe Manchin, Larry Hogan, or Nikki Haley.
“The reason I’m running as the only Democrat willing to say the quiet part out loud is because I see Donald Trump coming back to the White House, because Joe Biden should not have run for president again. And nobody had the courage to do what’s necessary,” he said.
Dixville Notch Voters Hint at Anti-Trump Vote as One Declares Support for Haley
DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H.—Voters in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, the only site that will uphold the state’s midnight voting tradition in this election, hit on a few common words to describe who they’re hoping to choose when voting begins at midnight.One that came up repeatedly was character.
“Character matters. It really does,” said Scott Maxwell, one of the six men and women who will participate in a tradition that dates back to 1960.
Four Dixville Notch voters are registered Republicans, while two are independents.
Yet, despite the township’s conservative bent, voters here have gone against former President Donald Trump in the past.
In the 2020 midnight primary, five votes went to future President Joe Biden. None went to Trump.
The one Dixville Notch voter who has declared support for a candidate is one of the registered Republicans, Annmarie Pintal-Turcotte. She told The Epoch Times why she is casting a ballot for former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley. Character is part of the equation.
“I was a Trump supporter for a long, long time, and I think the country was in very good shape by a number of measures during his presidency… But we know his strengths, and we know his weaknesses. I think that his character is a big weakness,” she said.
Ms. Pintal-Turcotte, who has partnered with another Dixville Notch voter, Leslie Otten, to resurrect the Notch’s Balsams Resort, also believes President Trump would be a poor strategic choice in the larger Republican effort to defeat Biden.
“My concern is that if he gets the Republican nomination, all the people that don’t like Trump will end up voting for Joe Biden,” she said.
She compared the current president to “cold soup.”
President Trump went without support here in 2020. Will he meet with the same reception in 2024?
Valerie Maxwell, the wife of Mr. Maxwell, said she did “get that sense” this time.
“I haven’t asked people who they’re voting for,” she added.
Dean Phillips Refuses to Condemn Trump Supporters
MANCHESTER, N.H.—Democratic presidential contender Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) stood before a crowd in Manchester, New Hampshire, on the eve of the first-in-the-nation primary and broke from party precedent by refusing to condemn supporters of former President Donald Trump.“You want to be the leader of the United States of America?” he said. “You cannot and should not ever condemn 50 percent of this country.”
Mr. Phillips, who prides himself in running a “Common Ground” series in his home state that brings together Democrats and Republicans, told the crowd that he spent the previous night having “50 conversations with MAGA supporters” while they were waiting in line to get into a rally for President Trump.
“This rally, of course, had a mile-long group of people waiting to get in and waiting in the cold,” he said. “So, you know what I did? What a leader should do. I went up and said, ‘Hi there, fellow Americans.’”
Mr. Phillips described the Trump supporters as “an extraordinarily diverse group of people who were the most hospitable, friendly, decent people to me.”
“In fact, more so than many of the democratically-elected officials in this state,” he said.
That said, he tried to rally his base to get out and vote against another term for President Trump, which he described as leaving “a legacy for yourself, for this country, and for the entire world that is watching us right now, horrified that we’re gonna have another Biden-Trump matchup and Trump is gonna walk right back to that White House,”
“There’s only one way to lead this country–not as a Democrat or Republican, but as an American president who loves everybody,” he said.
Unlike President Joe Biden, Mr. Phillips will be on the Democratic Primary ballot in New Hampshire.
Near the Canadian Border, Dixville Notch Prepares to Vote
DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H.—Dixville Notch is the only township in New Hampshire that will continue the state’s “midnight voting” tradition in the 2024 presidential primaries.Media from around the United States and the world have descended on the community, where six voters will participate in the New Hampshire primaries.
The community is about 21 miles from the Canadian border crossing just past Canaan, Vermont. It is said that alcohol used to be smuggled through here from Canada during Prohibition. But whatever illegal border activity may have happened in the past, one local isn’t terribly concerned about the Northern border today.
“As far as the border is concerned, we’re not seeing anything in our community,” said Les Otten, one of six voters who will vote at the Tillotson family’s house.
The Tillotsons’ house is across the street from the Balsams Resort hotel building—once owned by the Tillotsons, but not currently in operation. Mr. Otten is part of a group of developers who purchased the property a few years ago.
He said he hopes to finance and start rehabilitating the property soon. In the meantime, the midnight primary vote is drawing attention to the remote community.
Scott Maxwell, who has lived in Dixville Notch for about two-and-a-half years, said the border was a concern, but “not really” the border to the north.
“I’m more concerned about the fentanyl and other drugs that are coming in through Mexico,” his wife, Valerie, said.
Haley Paints Trump as Establishment Candidate in Closing Arguments Ahead of NH Primary
SALEM, N.H.—In her final event before the first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23, Nikki Haley sought to tie former President Donald Trump to the establishment, citing his numerous endorsements from Washington lawmakers, including those from her home state of South Carolina, whose primary is next month.“And now we have a two-person race and you’ve got one who’s got the entire political elite all around him,” the former U.N. ambassador told a packed house–deemed beyond capacity by the fire marshal–at The Artisan Hotel a day after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the GOP race and endorsed President Trump.
“It’s all of Congress. It’s all these legislative people,” Ms. Haley said. “You’ve got the media elite around them, which you don’t want. I’ve never wanted them. Never.”
Ms. Haley cited her experience taking on the establishment in South Carolina, where she won a state legislative race after taking on a long-time incumbent and eventually became governor after upsetting bigger-name candidates.
President Trump has been leading in most of the polls in New Hampshire.
Trump on Haley: ‘I Think I’m a Lot Sharper Than Her.’
As former President Donald Trump continues his march to once again earn the GOP presidential nomination, some have raised his age and competency as a concern.He addressed those concerns during a Fox News interview on Jan. 22, taking the opportunity to respond to his remaining competitor, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
“Well, I think I’m a lot sharper than her,” he said. “I would sit down right now and take an aptitude test, and it would be my result against her result, and she’s not going to win, not gonna even come close to winning.”
Ms. Haley, 52, has continued to bring up the ages of the potential nominees, saying that America needs “a new generational leader.” She has advocated term limits and called for mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75. President Trump is 77; President Biden is 81.
“I aced [the test] twice,” President Trump said. “I aced it. But I would say that, you know, I’ve actually called for a cognitive test for anybody running for president because I actually think that’s a good idea. It’d be nice to have an intelligent person be president.”
President Trump was given the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test while he was in the White House in 2018. It is used to detect the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and/or detect any mild cognitive impairment.
Poll: Immigration, Inflation Remain Top Concerns for Voters
At the start of another election year, immigration and inflation stand out as the most pressing concerns for potential voters on a national and personal level.Significant partisan divide was found as only 18 percent of self-identifying Democrats chose immigration compared with 50 percent of self-identifying Republicans. Independents were split, with 36 percent choosing immigration and 31 percent choosing inflation.
The poll also showed 32 percent of voters aged 18-24 posting price increases as their primary concern, with only 9 percent of the same demographic choosing immigration. Less than 50 percent of total participants aged 25-34 said either answer was their top concern. Immigration remains the biggest concern for 45 percent of participants aged 55-65 and 54 percent of participating voters aged 65+.
However, across all party lines inflation remained most concerning on a personal level, with 38 percent of participants saying it was the most important issue they were personally faced with while only 17 percent chose immigration. That said, immigration still registered an increase of three percentage points, according to the poll.
New Poll: Trump Beats Biden with RFK Jr. on Ballot
Former President Donald Trump does not have to worry about a third-party candidate appearing on the ballot along with him and President Joe Biden, according to a recent poll.While both the Republican voters and the Democratic party appear to be coalescing around a chosen candidate, this election cycle has also seen notable third-party candidates, such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., joining the race.
President Trump won 41 percent of poll participants, an eight-point lead over President Biden’s 33 percent. Mr. Kennedy earned 18 percent.
But in a one-on-one match-up, President Trump leads President Biden by only seven points, with a 48-to-41 percent split.
The news is even worse for President Biden when two other left-leaning third-party candidates, Jill Stein and Cornel West, are added to the ballot. The results showed President Trump with an 11 percent lead, with 42 percent compared to President Biden’s 31 percent.
That being said, 64 percent of participants still said they believe the country needs a different choice than just President Biden and President Trump.
This poll was conducted by Harvard University, the Harris Poll, and the Center for American Political Studies from Jan. 17-18, and surveyed 2,346 registered voters.
‘Spoofed’ Robocall Tells New Hampshire Voters to Sit Out Primaries
CONCORD, New Hampshire—Some New Hampshire voters have reported receiving robocalls encouraging them not to vote in the state’s presidential primary, according to the state’s attorney general.The office of Attorney General John Formella (R) warned in a Jan. 22 press release that several complaints had been lodged about a recorded phone message telling voters: “Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.”
The calls were reportedly made on Jan. 21 using a voice that sounded like President Joe Biden’s, though Mr. Formella’s office said the message “appears to be artificially generated based on initial indications.”
The calls were also allegedly “spoofed” to appear as though they were made by the treasurer of a political committee supporting a write-in campaign for President Biden.
An investigation is being conducted by the state’s Election Law Unit.
“These messages appear to be an unlawful attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election and to suppress New Hampshire voters,” the press release notes. “New Hampshire voters should disregard the content of this message entirely.”
Haley: ‘Going On To South Carolina No Matter What’
MANCHESTER, N.H.—At Backyard Brewery one day before the first-in-the-nation primary, which former President Donald Trump is expected to win, The Epoch Times overheard Nikki Haley telling one of her supporters who told her to not drop out of the race, “We’re going into South Carolina no matter what.”The GOP primary is between President Trump and Ms. Haley one day after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race and endorsed President Trump.
The primary in South Carolina, where Ms. Haley was governor between 2011 and 2017, will be on Feb. 24. President Trump is dominating the polls in the Palmetto State and has racked up endorsements from prominent South Carolinians, the latest being Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). Meanwhile, Ms. Haley recently touted to CNN her campaign’s fiscal discipline in staying in the race ahead of the state’s primary.
Trump to Headline NRA Presidential Forum
Former President Donald Trump will serve as the keynote speaker at the National Rifle Association (NRA) Presidential Forum next month in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the organization announced on Jan. 22.The former president, a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment right to bear arms, has been a recurring NRA guest speaker since 2015. The Feb. 9 forum—part of the organization’s Great American Outdoors Show—will mark his eighth address to NRA members.
“President Trump’s unwavering support for the Second Amendment and his track record of protecting the rights of gun owners make him an exemplary speaker for this momentous event. His fellow NRA members can’t wait to hear from him for the eighth time,” NRA President Charles Cotton said in a statement.
DeSantis Blames Conservative Media, Indictments for Trump Dominance
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis revealed that he does not regret running for president despite his bid not panning out as he’d hoped.“It’s easy to say, ‘Just try to bide your time and do what’s best for you individually,’ but that’s not leadership,” Mr. DeSantis said in the interview, which aired on Jan. 22.
“Leadership is if there’s a need that you step up and you fill the need. And, if it ends up being Trump gets nominated, wins, and then fixes the country ... but anything short of that, then they would have said, ‘Well, wait a minute, why didn’t you step up when we needed leadership?’ And so there was a need for it, I stepped up, and it was the right thing to do.”
As for his struggle to gain traction, the Republican pinpointed conservative media and the criminal indictments former President Donald Trump is facing as contributing factors.
“You saw the increase in his support when he had the indictment. And every subsequent indictment seemed he’d get a little bit more support. You can track that—it’s a very clear correlation,” he said.
“I think the other thing is he’s got a phalanx of very favorable media. Any center-right leaning media has really rallied behind him, so I think they’ve been drilling for months and months he’s inevitable.”
Pointing to the low voter turnout in Iowa, Mr. DeSantis said he believed that narrative had led many Republicans to sit the primary process out.
And despite also saying that he did not believe President Trump could win in the general election, the governor still went on to endorse the 45th president in the same video message he used to announce the suspension of his campaign.
Poignantly, he announced the move via X—the same social media platform he used to launch his campaign last year.
Trump Says He’s Seeking A Running Mate Who Can Handle the Oval Office
With former President Donald Trump closing in on the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination, he’s looking for a running mate who can handle the big job if necessary.In an interview with Newsmax published on Jan. 22, President Trump said the “biggest and most important quality” would be how that running mate would do as president.
“That’s the purpose,” President Trump said in the interview. “It’s 95 percent of it, I would think.”
Moreover, President Trump said he’s looking for a choice that’s politically compatible and someone he can work with.
“You really want to make sure that you pick somebody that should it be necessary, and we hope it isn’t, that they'll be a great president,” President Trump said.
In the same interview, he complimented Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his endorsement and said the candidate –who dropped out on Jan. 21– had “run a good campaign,” and he was “very honored to get his endorsement.”
President Trump was then asked if he would call on his last major challenger, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, to suspend her campaign, too, should he win on Jan. 23. He responded, “I would never call for it, but perhaps she should.”
“Maybe she'll drop out on Tuesday. Let’s see what happens,” President Trump said. “I don’t ask people to drop out. They have to drop out of their own volition.”
Trump Will Campaign with Burgum, Ramaswamy, and Scott
Former President Donald Trump’s New Hampshire rally on Monday night will feature three of his former rivals.The Epoch Times has confirmed the report is accurate with a source close to the Trump campaign.
All three men have already campaigned with President Trump ahead of the New Hampshire presidential primary. The Republican Primary will be held on Jan. 23.
The objective of the appearances, unnamed campaign officials told Fox News, is to present a united front.
Trump Trial Delay Could Conflict With New Hampshire Primary
A delay in writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case against former President Donald Trump could clash with the candidate’s plans for the date of the New Hampshire primary.President Trump was set to testify in the New York trial on Jan. 22, but due to COVID-19 concerns, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan granted a one-day postponement.
The 45th president’s defense attorney, Alina Habba, told the judge Monday that she had visited family members three days before who subsequently tested positive for COVID. Although Ms. Habba had tested negative in court earlier that day, she said she was running a fever.
A juror had also reported feeling unwell and returned home, prompting the judge to delay proceedings until the following day—the day of the New Hampshire primary.
“I ask that his testimony be Wednesday,” Ms. Habba told the judge, referring to her client. But the judge declined to extend the postponement just yet.
“I am not going to decide right now,” he said, adding that “circumstances may end up with you getting what you asked for, or maybe not.”
President Trump was present in court on Monday before the postponement. He will head back to New Hampshire for a campaign event in Laconia scheduled for 9 p.m.
New Polls Show Donald Trump Leads Comfortably In New Hampshire
Former President Donald Trump remains the candidate to beat in the New Hampshire presidential primary.On Jan. 22, three new polls were published, all showing President Trump holds a sizable lead over his last major primary challenger. According to the Monday polls, he leads by a margin of 19 percent to 27 percent over former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley.
Suffolk University’s latest poll, published by the Boston Globe and other media, shows that President Trump has the support of 57 percent of likely Republican voters. Ms. Haley holds 38.2 percent. Only 2.2 percent remained undecided at this point in the race.
The Suffolk poll surveyed 500 Granite Staters who are likely to vote in its Republican Party presidential primary election. It was conducted between Jan. 20 and Jan 21 and reported a 4.4 percent margin of error.
A poll conducted by Monmouth University and published by the Washington Post showed a slighter but still significant lead for President Trump.
The Jan. 16 to Jan. 20 survey of 712 New Hampshirites who will potentially vote in the Republican primary determined that 52 percent would vote for President Trump and 34 percent would vote for Ms. Haley. Only 2 percent remain undecided. The Monmouth poll includes a 4.2 percent margin of error.
The Monmouth poll also included Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who dropped out of the race on Jan. 21. A total of 8 percent of respondents chose him.
A final poll conducted by Insider Advantage after Mr. DeSantis dropped out of the race found his endorsement would likely send his voters to the Trump camp.
The Insider Advantage poll, conducted on Jan. 21 with 850 likely voters in the GOP primary, determined that 62 percent of respondents will be voting for President Trump. Only 35 percent will choose Ms. Haley. A final 3 percent said they are still undecided. That poll accounts for a 4.32 percent margin of error.
Insider Advantage pollster Matt Towery said in his commentary that the state is hard to poll.
Trump: ‘Unlikely’ DeSantis Has Role in Future Administration
Former President Donald Trump said he was “honored” that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was quick to endorse him upon dropping out of the GOP presidential primary race.“It’s not easy—look, it’s not easy,” he said. “He fought hard, spent a lot of money, and a lot of people thought he’d do well. I was leading from the beginning—just so you understand. … But he was doing well, and I think he did the right thing.”
The former president has had a strained relationship with the governor ever since the latter hinted that he might be exploring a presidential run in 2022.
“To me, when you say, ‘No comment,’ that means you’re running,” President Trump said. “I think I took it quite seriously.”
But the tensions, he said, are “totally” a thing of the past now that he has Mr. DeSantis’s support.
“Look, he endorsed me, and we have policies very similar, actually. I think [DeSantis’s supporters] will all come to me.”
President Trump noted that he and the governor shared similar positions on the border, taxes, the military, and foreign policy. “A lot of the things that he wanted, I wanted,” he said.
As for whether Mr. DeSantis has any role to play in a future Trump administration, the former president said it was possible but “probably unlikely.”
“I have to be honest, everything’s a possibility. But I think it’s highly unlikely. I have a lot of great people, and I have people that have been with me right from the beginning.”
Haley: ‘I Know I’m Getting to’ Trump
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says she believes former President Donald Trump, the GOP front-runner, feels “threatened” by her presence in the race.“I know I’m getting to him … because I know him very well. And the second he feels insecure, or the second he feels threatened, he starts lashing out,” she told “Fox & Friends” while campaigning at a University of New Hampshire hockey game on Jan. 21.
“I have said, head-to-head, Trump loses to Biden, I win by double digits,” she said. “This is about how do we win in November, and you know you can’t win with Donald Trump. We’re going to make sure you win with Nikki Haley.”
Ms. Haley, who served as ambassador to the U.N. under President Trump, has touted herself as the best Republican alternative to the former president. And with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s decision to suspend his campaign on Jan. 21, she said the race is now officially a “two-person race,” though pastor Ryan Binkley is still technically in the fray.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu—on the stump with Ms. Haley ahead of the New Hampshire primary—said he expects the GOP to win “everything, up and down the ballot” if the former South Carolina governor is on the ballot.
“We’re tired of losers; we’re tired of losing. Nikki brings a winning attitude to the entire team—it’s awesome,” Mr. Sununu said.
GOP Candidates, Democratic Longshots Hold Final Events Ahead of Tuesday’s Vote
The polls open in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary on Jan. 23. The remaining Republican candidates and upstart Democratic challengers to President Joe Biden are dashing to the finish.Former president Donald Trump is scheduled to appear at an event in Laconia, New Hampshire, at 9 p.m. ET on Jan. 22. His oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., is set to host a Team Trump event in Hollis, New Hampshire, at 3 p.m. ET. Both are within an hour’s drive of the Granite State’s most populous city, Manchester.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley is planning on holding two official events today. At 10 a.m. ET, she will be in Franklin, New Hampshire, with New Hampshire Commissioner of Labor Ken Merrifield for a meet-and-greet event.
In the evening, she is expected to campaign with New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu in Salem, New Hampshire, at 6 p.m. ET in a get-out-the-vote rally.
According to the campaign’s press messages, Ms. Haley is making three smaller stops with Mr. Sununu throughout the day. At noon, she’s due to appear in Concord, New Hampshire. At 2 p.m. ET in Manchester. The pair will hold an additional get-out-the-vote event in Windham, New Hampshire, at 3:45 p.m. ET.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who dropped from the race on Jan. 21, scratched his remaining New Hampshire events.
On the Democratic side, longshot candidates Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) and self-help author Marianne Williamson are both set to appear in New Hampshire on Monday evening.
Mr. Phillips scheduled a town hall in Manchester at 6 p.m. ET. Later in the evening, Ms. Williamson will convene with supporters in Hooksett, New Hampshire, at 7 p.m. ET.
Trump Picks Up Another South Carolina Endorsement
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is the latest South Carolina Republican to back former President Donald Trump for president over the state’s former governor, Nikki Haley.The congresswoman had remained mum on her preferred nominee as two of her fellow South Carolinians—Ms. Haley and Sen. Tim Scott—entered the primary race last year. But on Jan. 22, a day before the New Hampshire primary, she told The Associated Press that she would be supporting President Trump.
“I don’t see eye to eye perfectly with any candidate. And until now I’ve stayed out of it,” Ms. Mace said. “But the time has come to unite behind our nominee.”
The New Hampshire contest, where Ms. Haley is polling better than in other states, will likely make or break Ms. Haley’s chances of becoming the GOP presidential nominee. An upset victory would establish her as a serious competitor to President Trump, while a loss could mean the end of her campaign.
Ms. Mace is just one of many South Carolina leaders to have backed President Trump, many of whom have joined him on the campaign trail. Her endorsement comes just days after Mr. Scott, having dropped out of the race, threw his weight behind the former president.
