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Donald Trump is surrounding himself with leaders from Nikki Haley ’s house state in a present of energy forward of Tuesday’s New Hampshire major.
Trump, in line with his marketing campaign, shall be joined at a rally on the NHU Area in Manchester Saturday night time by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, the state’s lieutenant governor and a slew of different senior officers, together with the state’s legal professional basic, treasurer and Home speaker. Additionally planning to look are U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson, William Timmons and Russell Fry.
The appearances are yet one more blow from South Carolina in opposition to Haley, who’s hoping her enchantment amongst unbiased and unaffiliated voters will propel her to a robust sufficient end in New Hampshire to show the race right into a two-person contest in opposition to Trump.
It comes a day after Trump acquired the endorsement of South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who joined him at a rally in Harmony. Scott dropped his personal bid for the Republican nomination in November. A dozen years in the past, Haley, then serving as governor of their state, elevated Scott from the Home by appointing him as senator, making him one of many nation’s most distinguished Black Republicans.
McMaster and different prime officers had already endorsed Trump. Haley has a famously fractious relationship with a lot of her state’s Republican energy brokers whilst she was twice elected governor — defeating McMaster within the GOP major the primary time.
Her response on Saturday made clear she hadn’t forgotten that rivalry.
“I’m sorry, is that the individual I ran in opposition to for governor and beat?” she mentioned. ”Simply checking.
Haley marketing campaign supervisor Betsy Ankney additionally dismissed the appearances at an occasion hosted by Bloomberg Information, insisting endorsements had “by no means been Nikki’s sport.”
Haley, in the meantime, highlighted a gaffe from Trump at his rally Friday night time after Scott gave him a rousing endorsement.
Trump repeatedly recommended Haley had been in command of retaining the Capitol safe on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the constructing to attempt to cease his election loss from being licensed. Haley was not on the Capitol that day. And Trump has constantly downplayed his administration’s failure to maintain the Capitol secure or his delay in making an attempt to name off the rioters.
“They’re saying he obtained confused. That he was speaking about one thing else, that he was speaking about Nancy Pelosi,” Haley mentioned. “If you’re coping with the pressures of a presidency, we will’t have another person the place we query whether or not they’re mentally match to do that.”
Even with their state’s prime elected Republicans and far of the congressional delegation in New Hampshire to advocate for Trump this week, some South Carolina voters had been undeterred about backing different candidates.
“I’m a robust Republican, and I simply vote Republican as a result of I believe they’ve quite a bit in widespread with supporting america and the common residents of america,” mentioned Sandra Chase, following an occasion for GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis in Lexington, South Carolina, on Saturday afternoon.
DeSantis, coming off a second-place end in leadoff Iowa, has shifted a few of his focus away from New Hampshire, the place the state’s unbiased voters are seen to supply extra of a gap for Haley. He is as a substitute been campaigning this weekend in South Carolina, the place the state’s major subsequent month is taken into account a pivotal early contest.
Chase mentioned she had beforehand backed Trump however needed to go in a unique route this 12 months.
“I simply wish to choose the very best candidate, and I believe the very best candidate is Ron DeSantis,” she mentioned. “However I imply, everyone is allowed to assist whoever they wish to assist.”
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AP Nationwide Politics Author Steve Peoples in Keene, New Hampshire, reporter Meg Kinnard in Lexington, South Carolina, and Related Press video journalist Joe Frederick in Peterborough, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.