Trump Urges New Hampshire to Reject Haley in Final Primary Pitch

(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump enters the New Hampshire presidential primary projecting an air of inevitability, as the soon-to-be Republican nominee called on voters to unify behind his candidacy and reject Nikki Haley, his last remaining major challenger.

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“We’re down to two people. And I think one person will be gone probably tomorrow,” Trump said at a rally Monday in Laconia, New Hampshire, the day before the state’s primary. “The other one will be gone in November,” he added, looking ahead to a likely general election rematch with President Joe Biden.

Trump’s rally was a raucous affair with the former president speaking to a packed audience and with protesters being removed for interrupting his remarks.

Trump made his closing argument to New Hampshire aided by former 2024 rivals, bringing on stage US Senator Tim Scott, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, all of whom endorsed him after dropping out of the race.

“This is a very, very important vote,” Trump said. “When you step into that voting booth, you’re going to be signaling that we want crooked Joe Biden, the worst president in the history of our country, out.”

Notably absent was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who ended his campaign on Sunday after enduring months of pointed insults and name-calling from Trump and his campaign. Even still, Trump won DeSantis’ endorsement.

The New Hampshire primary has narrowed into a two-person contest between Trump and Haley, with high stakes for both campaigns. Haley needs a strong showing to demonstrate, in particular to donors, that she can beat the GOP standard-bearer, while Trump is eager to quickly wrap up the nomination and turn his attention to Biden and his court cases.

The two candidates in recent days have intensified their attacks on each other, with some polls showing Haley gaining on the former president’s lead in a state that offers her the best chance to damage him. Still, Trump is ahead of Haley by about 18 percentage points in the state, according to a RealClearPolitics polling average.

“Chaos follows him,” Haley said at a rally on Monday night, adding that the US cannot afford to have “four more years of chaos because we won’t survive it.”

Trump in a post on social media Monday also took aim at Americans for Prosperity, a group backed by billionaire Charles Koch that is supporting Haley’s bid.

“American’s for No Prosperity, who made more money during the Trump years than at any other time, are stupid people who are backing Birdbrain as she goes down tubes. Bad timing Charles!” he said on social media site Truth Social, using one of his nicknames for Haley.

The insults have become more personal in the days ahead of the primary. Trump has said Haley lacked “presidential” material and suggested she was out of the running to be his running mate.

Haley, 52, meanwhile has attacked the 77-year old former president’s mental fitness and age, saying “he’s just not at the same level he was in 2016.”

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