Donald Trump is surrounding himself with leaders from Nikki Haley ‘s home state in a show of strength ahead of Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary. Trump, according to his campaign, will be joined at a rally at the NHU Arena in Manchester Saturday night by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, the state’s lieutenant governor and a slew of other senior officials, including the state’s attorney general, treasurer and House speaker. Also planning to appear are U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson, William Timmons and Russell Fry.
Quick Read
- Trump’s Show of Strength in New Hampshire: Trump rallies with South Carolina leaders in Manchester, NH, ahead of the primary.
- South Carolina Leaders Joining Trump: Governor Henry McMaster, the lieutenant governor, and other senior officials, including U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson, William Timmons, and Russell Fry.
- Impact on Nikki Haley: Trump’s rally seen as a strategic move against Haley, a fellow Republican candidate and former South Carolina governor.
- Tim Scott’s Endorsement: Senator Tim Scott endorsed Trump at a rally in Concord, a significant blow to Haley’s campaign.
- McMaster’s Support for Trump: McMaster, among others, had previously endorsed Trump.
- Haley’s Fractious Relationship: Known for a challenging relationship with South Carolina’s Republican establishment.
- Haley’s Response to Trump’s Rally: Downplays the significance of the endorsements and highlights a gaffe made by Trump at the rally.
- Trump’s Confusion Over Capitol Security: Trump mistakenly suggested Haley was responsible for Capitol security during the Jan. 6, 2021, events.
- Haley’s Critique of Trump: Questions Trump’s mental fitness for the presidency in response to his gaffe.
The Associated Press has the story:
Trump will be joined by SC leaders at NH rally as he tries to undercut Haley
Newslooks- MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (AP) —
Donald Trump is surrounding himself with leaders from Nikki Haley ‘s home state in a show of strength ahead of Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary.
Trump, according to his campaign, will be joined at a rally at the NHU Arena in Manchester Saturday night by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, the state’s lieutenant governor and a slew of other senior officials, including the state’s attorney general, treasurer and House speaker. Also planning to appear are U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson, William Timmons and Russell Fry.
The appearances are yet another blow from South Carolina against Haley, who is hoping her appeal among independent and unaffiliated voters will propel her to a strong enough finish in New Hampshire to turn the race into a two-person contest against Trump.
It comes a day after Trump received the endorsement of South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who joined him at a rally in Concord. Haley had elevated Scott, who dropped his own bid for the Republican nomination in November, from the House to the Senate, making him one of the nation’s most prominent Black Republicans.
McMaster and other top officials had already endorsed Trump. Haley has a famously fractious relationship with many of her state’s Republican power brokers even as she was twice elected governor — defeating McMaster in the GOP primary the first time.
Her response on Saturday made clear she hadn’t forgotten that rivalry.
“I’m sorry, is that the person I ran against for governor and beat?” she told reporters, according to video from the event. “Just checking.
Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney also brushed off the appearances at an event hosted by Bloomberg News, insisting endorsements had “never been Nikki’s game.”
Haley, meanwhile, highlighted a gaffe from Trump at his rally Friday night after Scott gave him a rousing endorsement.
Trump repeatedly suggested Haley had been in charge of keeping the Capitol secure on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the building to try to stop his election loss from being certified.
“They’re saying he got confused. That he was talking about something else, that he was talking about Nancy Pelosi,” Haley said. “When you’re dealing with the pressures of a presidency, we can’t have someone else where we question whether they’re mentally fit to do this.”
