LIVE UPDATES: GOP Nomination Becomes 2-Horse Race After DeSantis Drops Out

Ron DeSantis Drops Out

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the 2024 primary election on Jan. 21 and endorsed President Donald Trump.

Mr. DeSantis made the announcement in a video posted on X, the platform he used to launch his campaign in May last year.

The Florida governor made his exit official two days prior to the New Hampshire primary election, in which he polled in the single digits, well behind former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and President Donald Trump.

“Following our second-place finish in Iowa, we’ve prayed and deliberated on the way forward. If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome—more campaign stops, more interviews — I would do it. But I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory,” Mr. DeSantis said in his video message. “Accordingly, I am now, today suspending my campaign.”

In the same announcement, Mr. DeSantis endorsed former President Donald Trump.

“He has my endorsement because we cannot go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear,” Mr. DeSantis said. “A repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.”

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With Mr. DeSantis’ withdrawal, only former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley stands in the way of President Trump reclaiming the GOP nomination. That would set up a rematch of the 2020 presidential election.

“It’s now one fella and one lady,” Haley said at a seafood restaurant in Seabrook, N.H., in reaction to news of DeSantis dropping out.

—Austin Alonzo, Jackson Richman, and Ivan Pentchoukov

Haley Explains Why She’s Not in Nevada Caucus

EPPING, N.H.—Nikki Haley explained on Jan. 21 why she will be in the Nevada primary on Feb. 6 that, unlike the caucus on Feb. 8, will not allocate delegates.

“Talk to the people in Nevada, they will tell you the caucuses have been sealed up, bought and paid for for a long time. And so that’s why we got into the primary,” she said in response to a question from The Epoch Times.

“But we know the caucus is what it is,” she said. “And these are people who are involved in it that tried to stop it. But that’s the Trump train rolling through that, but we’re gonna focus on the states that are fair.”

Former President Donald Trump is expected to win the Nevada Caucus, by which the state GOP will allocate delegates, as opposed to the primary that was mandated under state law—until a judge allowed Nevada GOP to have its caucus.

In Nevada, 26 delegates are up for grabs, while South Carolina has 50 for the taking.

Gov. Chris Sununu Says Haley Can Still Win New Hampshire’s Primary

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has “no doubt” that Nikki Haley can still win the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary.

On a Jan. 21 appearance on NBC’s “Meet The Press,” Mr. Sununu, a Republican, said the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. has knocked out all the other candidates and can score a surprise victory on Jan. 23.

NBC’s Kristen Welker played a clip of Mr. Sununu’s earlier statements to the press predicting a “no doubt” win in a “landslide.”

“I think she can still win. There’s no doubt about it,” Mr. Sununu said.

Mr. Sununu went on to call the race for the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nomination, a contest between Ms. Haley and former President Donald Trump.

“I’ve always said you want a one-on-one race going into Super Tuesday,” Mr. Sununu said. “I think Super Tuesday is probably where you actually have to start winning states.”

Pressed on his previous predictions, Mr. Sununu said Ms. Haley doesn’t necessarily need to win. He pointed to the fact she polled in the single digits in December and is now running much closer to President Trump.

He said Ms. Haley, whom he’s endorsed and is campaigning with in New Hampshire, is going to run a strong race through Super Tuesday and beyond.

“People don’t realize that South Carolina isn’t next week. It’s like three or four weeks away,” Mr. Sununu said. “Nikki is going to have a lot of time to build on the momentum she’s already created.”

Emulating Ms. Haley’s comments elsewhere on Sunday morning, Mr. Sununu went after a recent gaffe made by President Trump on the campaign trail.

A misidentification of Ms. Haley, when he likely meant to say Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), shows Donald Trump is not as mentally sharp as he was eight years ago, he said.

“This is not Donald Trump, the disrupter of 2016. This guy has lost his fastball.”

Mr. Sununu made similar remarks about President Joe Biden. He said he would not support him even if his preferred candidate does not get the nod at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this July.

“This is how bad [President] Biden has been. This is how incompetent he’s been. The guy can barely get off the stage,” Mr. Sununu said. “Nobody wants what has gone on, and everyone is scared of a President Kamala Harris.”

–Austin Alonzo

‘Wow’: Lifelong Democrat Shares Takeaway After Going to Trump Rally

CONCORD, N.H.–A political consultant and lifelong Democrat, Steve Marchand, said going to a rally for former President Donald Trump was an eye-opener.

Mr. Marchand told WMUR-TV that he attended the former President’s rally in Manchester on Jan. 20 to see what it was like. He began his comments with: “Wow.”

“These people are ready to rock-and-roll,” Mr. Marchand said about President Trump’s supporters. “The energy level, the devotion, I better understand after being there.”

He also can see now how difficult it will be for other candidates to make headway against the former president, the clear frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination.

“They’re trying to climb a mountain,” Mr. Marchand said of the former president’s political rivals, “and I’m not sure it’s climbable.”

Sen. Tim Scott Says He Told Nikki Haley About His Trump Endorsement Plans

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said he texted Nikki Haley the day before he endorsed former President Donald Trump’s bid for the Republican Party’s 2024 nomination.

In an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Jan. 21, the senator explained why he chose to support President Trump over the former South Carolina governor who appointed him to the Senate. Scott also spoke about his relationship with Ms. Haley and sounded off on speculation about being President Trump’s running mate.

When CNN’s Dana Bash asked Mr. Scott why he chose President Trump, he replied it came down to “what does America need for the next president.”

“We had a stronger economy, a healthy military, and a safer world. Like compare and contrast,” Mr. Scott said. “The only conclusion is Donald Trump.”

Mr. Scott was also asked whether or not he informed Ms. Haley of his decision to endorse President Trump. He said he “texted her the day before I made my announcement.”

“I think President Donald Trump is a strong president will be a strong president again, and will have the kind of accomplishments that will unite this nation around economic opportunity,” Scott said.

When asked about whether he “would like to be Donald Trump’s running mate,” Mr. Scott gave a noncommittal answer.

“I want the kids to look to their future and believe that America is their oyster, they can have whatever they want. That’s what I really want,” Mr. Scott said. “And if I can help achieve that, through my endorsement by being on the campaign trail in my home state of South Carolina for the next four or five weeks, and then beyond, that’s the goal.

“If you don’t think about yourself, but think about the country first. We’ll be in good shape.”

—Austin Alonzo

Biden is ‘Only Dem’ Trump Can Beat, Rival Says

CONCORD, N.H.–A Democrat candidate for president told a New Hampshire TV station that his political rival, President Joe Biden, is vulnerable and could be defeated in the general election this fall if he faces former President Donald Trump.

U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) said President Trump appears poised to become the Republican nominee for president. But if the two men compete against each other in a rematch of the 2020 election this year, President Biden is “the only Democrat who can and will lose to that man.”

Mr. Phillips, who announced his candidacy in October, made his remarks to Manchester-based WMUR-TV, Channel 9, on Jan. 21.

President Biden has not been campaigning in the Granite State. His name will not appear on the ballot for New Hampshire voters.

The committee also discouraged the party’s presidential candidates from participating in this “nonbinding presidential preference event.”

Mr. Phillips also raised concerns that neither President Biden nor President Trump would make a good leader for the nation, partly because they’re “two old men.” President Biden is 81 and President Trump is 77. He said neither of them is “ready for artificial intelligence” and other advanced technologies and challenges in the modern world.

—Janice Hisle

Haley Attacks Trump’s Age, Mental Fitness

Nikki Haley stepped up her attacks on former President Donald Trump calling out his age and pointing out multiple misidentifications the GOP frontrunner made on the campaign trail.

On an appearance on CBS’ “Face The Nation” on Jan. 21, Ms. Haley, the former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, said most Americans do not want to see a rematch of the 2020 general election.

“Our kids are never going to forgive us for it. It’s more of the same,” Ms. Haley told CBS’s Margaret Brennan. “We’re going to have two presidential candidates in their eighties. That’s not what our kids want. That’s not what we should want.”

Ms. Brennan pointed out that President Trump repeatedly confused Ms. Haley for Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) when speaking about the events of Jan. 6, 2021, at a recent rally.

In response, Ms. Haley pointed out that President Trump said President Joe Biden was going to lead the U.S. into World War II when he likely meant to say “world war three,” and that he ran against former President Barack Obama along with his remarks that were likely meant to be about Ms. Pelosi.

“If you have someone that’s 80 in an office, their mental stability is going to continue to decline,” Ms. Haley said. “That’s just human nature.”

Ms. Haley went on to say she didn’t know if President Trump was confused but the slip-ups should be a “warning sign.”

“Are we really going to go into a situation where we have wars around the world, and we’re trying to prevent war, and we’re going to have someone who we can’t be sure that they’re going to get confused? It’s a real issue,” Ms. Haley said. “That’s not being disrespectful. It’s just a fact.”

Ms. Brennan asked Ms. Haley if she observed any similar behavior from President Trump when she was part of his administration from 2017 to 2018. She said she would “call him out if he was doing something wrong” but “this is different.”

“We’re seeing he’s just not at the same level he was in 2016,” Ms. Haley said. “I think we’re seeing some of that decline.”

—Austin Alonzo

Climate Protesters Interrupt Haley Rally

DERRY, N.H. — A couple of climate protesters interrupted Nikki Haley’s rally at a Derry middle school.

The same happened at her rally in Nashua, N.H.

At both events, Ms. Haley noted that her husband, Michael Haley, and his fellow military members fought for the First Amendment. At her Derry rally, she noted that protesters wouldn’t be tolerated in Russia. 

Haley Has a Full Slate of Events–Including One With Judge Judy

DERRY, N.H.—GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley has a busy schedule on Jan. 21 that includes stumping with Judith Sheindlin, better known as Judge Judy.

Ms. Haley started the day at May Anne’s Diner in Derry–where she also made an appearance on Jan. 19. Other scheduled events include a rally at a middle school, followed by a handful of retail stops including an appearance at the University of New Hampshire’s hockey game against the University of Connecticut.

The rally with Ms. Sheindlin, in Exeter, will wrap up her public schedule for the day.

“I’m proud to endorse Nikki Haley because she is whip smart, has executive credentials and was a superb governor,” said Ms. Sheindlin in a statement released by the Haley campaign on Jan. 9.

“She has international gravitas as Ambassador to the United Nations. She is principled, measured and has that elusive quality of real common sense. I truly think she can restore America and believe she is the future of this great nation.”

Ms. Sheindlin endorsed former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Democrat, in the 2020 presidential election.

“Judge Judy is a no-nonsense lady who has earned the respect of millions of Americans from her courtroom by being thoughtful, fair, and honest. I’m honored to have her support,” said Ms. Haley in her campaign statement.

—Jackson Richman

Larry Sabato: Haley’s Attacks on Trump’s Mental Acuity Unlikely to Shift Race

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s swipes at former President Donald Trump’s mental fitness for the presidency are “too little, too late,” according to Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Ms. Haley has seized upon the GOP front-runner’s apparent gaffe at a Jan. 19 campaign rally confusing her with Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as ammunition heading into the New Hampshire primary, where she is hoping to pull off an upset victory.

But her attacks, Mr. Sabato said, are unlikely to produce the desired result.

“It is definitely too little too late,” he told CNN on Jan. 20, noting that former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was the only candidate to target President Trump from the outset. And Mr. Christie is now out of the race—an indicator of how difficult it is to land punches on the man commonly referred to as “Teflon Don.”

“This is the MAGA party—this is the Donald Trump party,” Mr. Sabato said. “And so, to get the nomination against Donald Trump, you have to somehow convince people that Trump is no longer up to the job or can’t win in November, but not offend them so much that they won’t vote for you. And it’s a near impossibility.”

While he conceded that Ms. Haley may have a better chance of swaying New Hampshire voters to her side, he stressed that such support was unlikely to continue in states like South Carolina, where evangelical voters—a strong subset of President Trump’s base—are a dominant voting bloc.

“I just don’t think this attack, like most of the others, will make all that much of a difference.”

—Samantha Flom

Asa Hutchinson Endorses Nikki Haley

CONCORD, N.H.—Former presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson has endorsed Nikki Haley’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

The former Arkansas governor gave Ms. Haley the nod in a social media post on Jan. 20, three days ahead of the New Hampshire primary election.

“Anyone who believes Donald Trump will unite this country has been asleep over the last 8 years,” Mr. Hutchinson wrote on X. “Trump intentionally tries to divide America and will continue to do so.”

Mr. Hutchinson signed off with, “Go @NikkiHaley in New Hampshire” and the hashtag FITN, a reference to the Granite State’s primary election being the “first in the nation.”

The endorsement comes at a key moment for Ms. Haley, as she battles former President Donald Trump in a state where she is polling well.

Ms. Haley began to rise in New Hampshire polls in late December. A Jan. 15 poll by American Research Group, Inc., showed President Trump and Ms. Haley tied at 40 percent each.

Another poll, conducted by CNN and the University of New Hampshire, showed Mr. Trump leading Ms. Haley by a margin of 11 percent.

President Trump has collected a bevy of endorsements and has trickled them out over the last two weeks.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a former candidate in this race, endorsed the former president on Jan. 14, the day before the Iowa caucuses. Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy endorsed President Trump on Jan. 16, immediately after dropping from the race.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) endorsed President Trump on Jan. 17, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), another former candidate in this cycle, did so on Jan. 19.

—Lawrence Wilson

Trump Keeps Lead Over Haley in Latest New Hampshire Polls

Former President Donald Trump continues to lead the field in New Hampshire, according to the latest polls out of the Granite State.

On Jan. 21, two days ahead of the primary, both the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Suffolk University polls said President Trump maintains a solid lead in the state. However, it is not as large as the lead he held in the polls conducted ahead of the Jan. 15 Iowa Caucus.

Two polls were released on Sunday. Both said President Trump maintains a more than 11 percent advantage heading into the country’s first presidential primary election.

The UNH poll indicated President Trump has 50 percent of likely Republican primary voters’ support. Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley has 39 percent. In third place, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has 6 percent.

The poll, which surveyed 2,348 Granite Staters between Jan. 16 and Jan. 19, reports a 2.8 percent margin of error.

Sunday’s results, according to UNH, show that Ms. Haley has been able to grow her commitments to 39 percent from 32 percent since early January. However, President Trump saw his own rise to 50 percent from 39 percent.

The early January survey included candidates who have since dropped out of the race: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a harsh critic of President Trump, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who has gone on to endorse and campaign with President Trump.

The other Jan. 21 poll, the fifth daily poll conducted by Suffolk University and published by the Boston Globe, showed the pledges to vote for both President Trump and Ms. Haley are firming up.

The Sunday poll from Suffolk showed President Trump leading Ms. Haley with 55 percent of the vote over her 39 percent. Mr. DeSantis has 6 percent of the likely vote. The Wednesday, Jan. 17, edition of the poll showed President Trump had 50 percent and Ms. Haley had 34 percent.

The latest Suffolk poll surveyed 500 New Hampshire residents who will likely take part in its Republican primary between Jan. 19 and Jan. 20. It reported a margin of error of 4.4 percent.

—Austin Alonzo

DeSantis Cancels Sunday TV Appearances

CONCORD, N.H.—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has canceled appearances on two political talk shows this morning due to travel conflicts, according to a staff member.

Mr. DeSantis was scheduled to appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“The media hits were canceled due to a scheduling issue and will be rescheduled,” Bryan Griffin of the DeSantis campaign wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Saturday evening.

“The governor will be traveling Sunday morning with the campaign and has public events scheduled Sunday evening through Tuesday in NH.”

Mr. DeSantis finished second in the Iowa primary but had largely withdrawn from campaigning in New Hampshire to campaign in South Carolina, the next to vote. He trails both President Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley by a wide margin in both states.

The candidate is expected to appear at an event in Manchester at 5 p.m. today.

—Lawrence Wilson

Haley Snags Key New Hampshire Endorsement

The New Hampshire Union Leader says that “the world is ready for a change” in the White House, and that former ambassador to the U.N. and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is the best candidate for the job.

The daily newspaper endorsed Ms. Haley in a Jan. 20 editorial, touting her background as a diplomat, governor, accountant, military spouse, and mother who also happens to be a child of immigrants.

While the outlet acknowledged that its chosen candidate has stumbled in recent weeks over “some unfriendly soundbites”—including neglecting to list slavery as the primary cause of the Civil War—it contended that Ms. Haley was still the most qualified candidate for the job and a better choice than “putting another octogenarian in the White House.”

“As the fictional Ian Malcolm says in Jurassic Park, ‘The dinosaurs had their shot, and nature selected them for extinction.’ The dinosaurs from the last two administrations have indeed had their shot and Nikki Haley is the fireball from the heavens to wipe them out.”

—Samantha Flom