Republicans reinforce their offensive on New Hampshire, second stop of the primaries

Former President Donald Trump and the rest of the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination reinforced their offensive on the state of New Hampshire, the second stop in the primary process after the Iowa caucuses.

Trump, who took 51% of the vote on Monday in Iowa, appeared on Tuesday night before his followers in Atkinson (New Hampshire) visibly pleased at having achieved the largest victory in history in the caucuses in that state.

In this event, the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, came in second place with 21.2% of the votes, followed by the former governor of South Carolina and former ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, who obtained 19.1%. % of the votes.

The majority of the former president’s attacks on Atkison were directed at the latter, who described Haley as the Democrats’ candidate to “infiltrate” the Republican primaries.

“The people behind Nikki Haley are in favor of China, in favor of open borders (…) If Haley wins, Biden wins,” Trump said, adding that his support in Iowa was “historic” despite having been “unjustly persecuted.”

His words were received with applause from his supporters, wearing caps or waving flags with the letters “MAGA,” in reference to Trump’s slogan in the 2016 and 2020 campaigns: “Make America Great Again.” new).

At the Atkison event, Trump received the support of former candidate for the Republican nomination Vivek Ramaswamy, who suspended his campaign this Monday after receiving just under 8% in the Iowa caucuses.

Nikki Haley attacks in New Hampshire

Shortly before Trump, Haley herself had given another rally in New Hampshire, which she took advantage of to emerge as the only person in the race for the Republican presidential nomination who can beat the former US chief executive.

“We need new leadership for this country,” said Haley, who argued that the United States needs to leave behind “the chaos” that follows Trump everywhere, who faces four criminal cases and 91 charges.

Polls for the January 23 primary in New Hampshire have Trump ahead, but with Haley close, thanks in part to the support received from the state’s popular governor, Chris Sununu, who appeared alongside her in front of dozens of followers.

Haley is trying to position herself as the alternative to Trump and believes she would have a chance of wresting the nomination from him if, after New Hampshire, she exceeds all expectations in the next state in the primary process, South Carolina, where she was governor between 2011 and 2017.

DeSantis visits South Carolina

However, DeSantis is also looking to establish himself as an option to Trump and, in an effort to reduce Haley’s support, he headed directly to South Carolina this Tuesday.

During a rally in Greenville (South Carolina), DeSantis explained that he had made the decision to go directly to that state after Iowa to show voters that their vote is important.

At night, already in a debate organized by CNN in New Hampshire, the governor of Florida asked Republican supporters to consider betting on Trump because, according to DeSantis, his candidacy would mean that the conservative party would lose the US presidential elections. ., scheduled for November 5.

“What do we want the 2024 elections to be about? (…) If Donald Trump is the (Republican) candidate, they will revolve around all his legal issues: his trials, maybe convictions, and about things like January 6 (…) We are going to lose if that is the decision they make voters,” DeSantis explained.

The next face-to-face between the candidates will be directly on January 23, when New Hampshire residents go to vote.

ABC had organized another debate between the candidates in New Hampshire, but had to cancel it this Tuesday after Haley refused to participate if Trump did not do so. The former US president has chosen not to attend any of these televised debates of the primary process. With EFE

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