Former President Donald Trump, the consensus front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential race, is slated to headline the New Hampshire GOP’s annual meeting this weekend.
The New Hampshire Republican State Committee announced Monday that Mr. Trump will visit the first-in-the-nation primary state on Saturday.
“We are excited to welcome President Trump back to the Granite State to be the keynote speaker at our 2023 annual meeting,” said state GOP Chair Stephen Stepanek. “President Trump has long been a strong defender of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary status and we are excited that he will join us to deliver remarks to our members.”
Mr. Trump also is scheduled Saturday to visit South Carolina, which traditionally hosts the first-in-the-South presidential primary.
The same-day visits to the early primary states follow some rumblings within the party that Mr. Trump’s third bid for the White House has gotten off to a slow start and that he needs to be more engaged in the national debate.
The Trump campaign waived off those concerns as bogus and projected confidence that he is well-positioned to win the GOP nomination.
Polls consistently show Mr. Trump leading the pack of 2024 presidential contenders.
New Hampshire played a key role in catapulting Mr. Trump to the front of a crowded 2016 GOP presidential race. He finished first in New Hampshire after placing second behind Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the Iowa caucuses where social conservative and evangelical Christians are a force.
Still, Mr. Trump is expected to face different challenges in New Hampshire this go-round, including the possible candidacy of Gov. Chris Sununu, who cruised to a 15-point win in the midterms even as the Trump-backed candidate faltered in the state.
Mr. Trump’s presence also is sure to shine a bright light on the push from President Biden and the Democratic National Committee to have South Carolina supplant New Hampshire as the first state to host a Democratic presidential primary contest.
The push has angered New Hampshire Democrats.
Mr. Sununu, meanwhile, says the state will not move the primary, throwing a wrench in the DNC’s plans.
The DNC is poised to consider the calendar changes when they meet in Philadelphia next month.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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