During a campaign stop in New Hampshire, President Donald Trump revealed how he would bring the increasingly divided United States back to a posture of unity.
President Trump spoke to reporters before taking the stage in Laconia, New Hampshire, where he fielded questions from NTD, The Epoch Times’ sister media outlet, and others. It marked his last campaign stop in the Granite State ahead of the first in the nation primary.
Asked how he would bring the United States back together after years of deep political division, President Trump told NTD that he would do it through “success.”
Now, in a head-to-head with former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley for the nomination, President Trump refrained from saying he thinks she should drop out, telling NTD, “That’s up to her.”
The comments come as team Haley is praying for a win in New Hampshire, where some polls have shown her roughly neck and neck with the former president.
But President Trump didn’t seem worried. Asked whether he thought he could replicate his historic Iowa win in New Hampshire, President Trump was confident he could.
“I think we’ll win by big margins,” he said.
Despite some polls giving Ms. Haley a reason for optimism, most polls still show President Trump with a sizable lead in New Hampshire, which helped deliver him to the White House in 2016.
Former Rivals Take the Stage
President Trump was joined in Laconia by three of his former rivals for the nomination, who’ve since dropped out and endorsed him.
These included biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).
“Now is the time for the Republican Party to come together,” President Trump said. “We have to unify.”
President Trump then turned to his erstwhile adversaries, who spoke in favor of their former rival.
“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 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 nickname “DeSanctimonious,” and saying he ran a great campaign.
Interrupted by Hecklers
President Trump also faced interruptions from three sets of 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, including those of Ms. Haley.
The interrupters were quickly escorted out by security in turn, facing boos and jeers from President Trump’s supporters as they left.
Some appeared to be wearing face masks, and members of the crowd shouted against “Antifa.”
The hecklers heralded back to an earlier day of President Trump’s political tenure when hecklers were commonplace.
However, President Trump hasn’t faced much strong opposition during his rallies recently.
Trump Says He’ll ‘Free the J6ers’
President 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 calling on the administration to free several of those held on charges related to Jan. 6, who he’s described as “hostages.”
With the conclusion of the rally, President Trump wraps up his long series of campaign stops in New Hampshire, as this was his final rally ahead of the New Hampshire primary.
The New Hampshire primary is an important test for the viability of Ms. Haley, the sole remaining contender still battling for the nomination.
While she only received third place in Iowa—over 30 points behind President Trump’s historic win—New Hampshire is less conservative and less religious, making it more amenable to her sometimes anti-Trump messaging.
A win in New Hampshire could keep her in the race, potentially giving her the momentum to become a serious rival to President Trump—a long shot given President Trump’s domineering lead nationwide, but not unheard-of in the history of presidential politics.
Failure to win the state would indicate trouble for Ms. Haley’s presidential aspirations.
A win for President Trump, meanwhile, would all but cement his place as the Republican nominee.
A loss, meanwhile, would still leave Ms. Haley with a great deal of ground to catch up on in future battles, where she still largely trails President Trump by wide margins.
T.J. Muscaro contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times
