Trump returns to campaign

Former U.S. President Donald Trump hit the road for the first time since announcing his bid to retake the White House in 2024, visiting two states for early voting and his campaign Putting aside the criticism of getting off to a slow start.

“I’m angrier now and more committed than ever,” Trump said before heading to southern Columbia at the New Hampshire Republican Party’s annual meeting in Salem on Saturday. For appearing with his leadership team in Carolina.

New Hampshire and South Carolina were among the first four states to host contests for the presidential nomination, giving candidates tremendous leverage in the race for office.

Saturday’s event was relatively quiet, in contrast to the raucous rallies Trump often holds in front of thousands of followers.

In Columbia, with Gov. Henry McMaster and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham by his side, Trump spoke to about 200 attendees.

Trump, once the undisputed center of gravity of the Republican Party, expresses concern about whether he can defeat Democratic President Joe Biden if he decides to run again, as is widely expected. people are increasing.

Many Republicans are considering whether to launch their own White House bid, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is widely seen as the biggest threat to Trump.

Several top Republicans in both states Trump visited on Saturday, including New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, are considering a presidential campaign. Many senior Republican officials in New Hampshire, where Trump won in 2016 and established himself as the front-runner, say they are looking for alternatives.

In South Carolina, notable absences included a state party chairman, several state Republican legislators, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, an emerging Republican presidential candidate. Scott and others cite scheduling conflicts.

Several Republican state legislators decided not to attend after failing to get assurances from Trump’s team that doing so would not be viewed as an endorsement, according to people familiar with the plan.

Colombia-based political strategist Rob Godfrey said many Republicans were hesitant to support Trump.

“With so many Republicans this year, I think quite a few people are drying their powder,” he said.

During both visits on Saturday, Trump reiterated some of the themes that fueled his first campaign, including condemnation of illegal immigration and China.

But he also highlighted social issues such as transgender rights and school curricula on race. Perhaps in response to DeSantis’ relentless focus on the culture wars that helped him gain national prominence.

Indeed, Trump maintains a sizable support base, especially among the grassroots. He loses in his head-to-head polls to DeSantis, but wins by a wide margin when poll respondents are presented with a broad field of choices.

Trump didn’t do much to repeat his familiar complaints about the 2020 election, but alluded to false claims that the election was stolen from him.

Since starting his campaign last November, Trump has kept a relatively low profile. In early January, he called several conservative Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to convince them to vote for his supporter Kevin McCarthy for the new chair.