Republicans made a tremendous show of unity behind former President Donald Trump on the eve of the New Hampshire primary as some of his former 2024 campaign rivals and leaders in the GOP joined him on stage and urged Granite Staters to vote for him.
Speaking in Laconia, New Hampshire, on Monday night as he dominates the polls against his lone remaining opponent, former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), Trump invited entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) to join him on stage at the rally, which was broadcasted by Rightside Broadcasting. All three former 2024 presidential candidates have endorsed the 45th president in the past eight days, as has Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who exited the race on Sunday after placing second in Iowa. Trump lauded DeSantis on Monday as “a very good competitor” who “fought hard and … fought well.”
“Now is the time for the Republican Party to come together”: President Trump welcomes former competitors onstage in Laconia, New Hampshire
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Trump called Ramaswamy, Burgum, and Scott on stage toward the beginning of his remarks:
But now is the time for the Republican Party to come together. We have to unify. That’s why I’m delighted to be joined today by a number of outstanding leaders, big leaders, powerful leaders, greatly respected leaders. They’re also unbelievable competitors, and we’re all on the same team; 100 percent focused on Biden and beating him in November. So I just want to introduce to you for just a few seconds a few people that have been incredible on the campaign trail, they’ve been really good and they’ll have a lot to do with what’s happening in the country over the next four years and I’m sure long beyond that.
Ramaswamy, whom the 45th president would later call a “dynamo,” was the first to speak. Ramaswamy said there is a “war” in the nation “between those of us who love this country and a fringe minority who hates the United States of America and what we stand for, between the permanent state and the everyday citizen.”
He said Trump is a candidate “who will lead us to victory in this war,” adding:
If you want 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, vote Trump. If you want to Make America Great Again, vote Trump.
The 38-year-old entrepreneur added that Trump would “deliver” a Reaganesque 1980 victory.
Vivek Ramaswamy @VivekGRamaswamy rallies support for President Trump in Laconia, New Hampshire
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“You guys, do your part. Come out on Tuesday night, end this primary right here — off to defeat Joe Biden in November, and our best days as a nation are still yet ahead of us. Vote Trump, and that’s how we do this,” he urged voters.
Trump, who said he would like to call upon Burgum to serve in his administration if he wins, invited the governor on stage next, emphasizing they have become “really good” friends.
“We end this primary tomorrow in New Hampshire with a fantastic win.” — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum @DougBurgum in Laconia, New Hampshire
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Burgum drew a contrast between the state of the nation under Trump’s administration versus now under Biden:
When I became governor, it was the same night that Donald Trump was elected back in November of ’16, and the world changed because I’ve had an opportunity to serve under Joe Biden as president and Donald Trump. When Donald Trump was President, our nation was safe and our nation was prosperous. Joe Biden – his weakness has led to war, his weakness and his appeasement has led to our adversaries like Iran and Russia, making hundreds of billions of dollars selling oil to China. Economy, energy, national security those are all three tied together. There’s one candidate in this race that understands how to make our nation more secure, our nation more prosperous. It’s the person who did it when he was president before. That’s Donald J. Trump.
Burgum emphasized that “the eyes of the world are on New Hampshire tomorrow” and implored granite staters to flood the polls.
“They’re going to be looking at how you vote. We end this primary tomorrow in New Hampshire with a fantastic win,” Burgum declared.
Scott, who got engaged to be married this week, joined the 45th president, Ramaswamy, and Burgum on stage after the former president noted how “closely” they worked together in his first term. Notably, Scott was an author of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which Trump signed into law.
South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott @SenatorTomScott takes the stage to stump for President Trump in Laconia, New Hampshire
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“If you want four more years of Donald Trump, let me hear your scream,” Scott said to cheers from the crowd.
“If you want the race to be over tomorrow, let me hear you scream,” he followed up to resounding cheer again.
.@realDonaldTrump with Vivek Ramaswamy, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Gov. Doug Burgum as they join him during a campaign rally at The Margate Resort in Laconia, NH. pic.twitter.com/iYApGGYiie
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) January 23, 2024
Trump, who predicted Haley would likely be “gone” from the race by Tuesday, praised all three men and reiterated that those watching would be “seeing a lot of them” before drawing a contest with his last Republican primary foe:
Sadly, not everyone is willing to put our country first. Here in New Hampshire, Nikki Haley has made an unholy alliance with RINOs, Never Trumpers Americans for “no” Prosperity … – I added the word “no” in – globalists and radical left communists to get liberals and Biden supporters to vote for her in the Republican primary.
He also asserted Democrats want Haley as an opponent in November and that those behind her are “pro-amnesty, pro-China, pro-open borders, pro-war, pro-deep state and pro-Biden.”