Donald Trump holds a campaign meeting on Monday in the state of New Hampshire, the scene of Republican primaries on Tuesday, his only rival Nikki Haley hoping to block the path of the former arch-favorite president after the surprise withdrawal of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis .
Like last week, the ultra favorite of the Republican Party is shuttling between New Hampshire and the New York court which he uses as an electoral platform: he was preparing to testify in the defamation suit brought against him by an author, E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of rape and had him civilly convicted in 2023 of sexual assault.
But one juror showed COVID symptoms, forcing the judge to cancel the hearing.
With a nearly 20-point lead, these are “good polls in New Hampshire.” “Sparrowbrains” is down, I’m up,” Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social network, insulting Nikki Haley, his former ambassador to the UN and ex-governor of South Carolina.
This weekend, he took the liberty of describing her as “not tough enough (…) not intelligent enough (…) not respected enough”.
” Tsunami “
“I’m all for Trump,” exclaimed to AFP Tony Ferrantello, a 72-year-old retired architect who is counting on a “tidal wave” in Tuesday’s primary.
The former president is scheduled to hold a very final meeting around 9 p.m. in Laconia, New Hampshire, after his other rival, Mr. DeSantis, threw in the towel on Sunday by rallying behind him for the November presidential election.
The conservative governor of Florida came second in Iowa on January 15 but was only credited with 6% of voting intentions in New Hampshire.
Now alone on the track against Donald Trump, Nikki Haley is going all out after a disappointing third place in Iowa, won hands down by the New York businessman.
No candidate has ever failed to win the Republican nomination after winning in these first two states.
Barring an exploit from Ms. Haley, the road seems clear for a Republican nomination of Mr. Trump this summer, facing, barring any surprises, Democratic President Joe Biden.
The latter will be campaigning in Virginia, near Washington, on Tuesday with his vice-president Kamala Harris on the subject of abortion.
Ms. Haley, who is trying to woo moderate Republicans and independent voters — allowed to vote in primaries of both Republican and Democratic parties without being affiliated with them — returns the blows after Mr. Trump confused her in a speech with a Democratic leader .
“He is just not at the same level as in 2016,” she attacked on CBS, judging the former president in “decline” and at risk of causing “chaos”.
But Nikki Haley won’t have it easy.
Before Mr. DeSantis withdrew, she was at least 15 points behind Mr. Trump in polling averages from RealClearPolitics and FiveThirtyEight. The recent good momentum from which it has benefited seems to have waned.
However, a good performance cannot be ruled out, which would place her in a good position for the next February 24 primary in South Carolina which she led.
Court clock
“I think it would be great to have Nikki Haley as president,” Madison Gillis, 18, who will vote for the first time on Tuesday, told AFP. ” She is awesome. I like what she stands for. I think she has a chance in New Hampshire,” she added, in a restaurant in Manchester, the state’s largest city.
New Hampshire only represents 22 delegates, out of a total of 1,215 who will officially nominate the Republican candidate in July in Milwaukee.
But compared to more conservative states, New Hampshire provides a better indication of possible electoral success nationally, and sets the tone for upcoming elections.
Notably “Super Tuesday,” scheduled for March 5, where some 874 delegates are at stake and can allow a candidate to have three-quarters of the number needed to win the nomination.
Donald Trump’s supporters estimate that he should be able to obtain this key number a week later, or in April at most.
The objective for the former president is to move quickly while the judicial clock is ticking: the month of March will mark the opening of two new criminal trials targeting him, including one for his attempts to reverse the result of the 2020 election.
Donald Trump is also awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court, before which he challenged his ineligibility in the state of Colorado, and which must begin studying the case on February 8.