Kathmandu: Donald Trump is gearing up for a crucial primary election in New Hampshire as he faces Nikki Haley, his sole remaining Republican opponent. The former US president is looking to secure a definitive win against the ex-South Carolina governor in a bid to become the Republican nominee for the upcoming general election.
The primary contest comes on the heels of Trump’s landslide victory in Iowa, where the field of Republican contenders narrowed significantly. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who secured a distant second in Iowa, subsequently dropped out and endorsed Trump, leaving the primary race with only two contenders.
Recent polls indicate that Trump holds a substantial lead in New Hampshire, with a Suffolk University and Boston Globe poll showing him 19 points ahead of Nikki Haley. Another poll by Monmouth University and the Washington Post gives Trump an 18-point lead. The surveys suggest that a majority of DeSantis’s supporters view Trump as the preferred alternative.
Addressing a rally in Laconia, New Hampshire, Trump emphasized the need for a decisive victory to send a signal about the state of the country. He accused globalists and left-wing communists of influencing liberal voters to support Haley, whom he deemed “easy to beat.”
Meanwhile, Nikki Haley, the former UN ambassador under President Trump, has been positioning herself as a fresh alternative. She has highlighted Trump’s preoccupation with legal challenges and grievances, portraying herself as a candidate focused on the future.
The Haley campaign is banking on the support of New Hampshire’s bloc of independent voters to potentially secure an upset victory. New Hampshire allows voters of any affiliation to participate in the primary, making the state more moderate than deeply conservative Iowa.
The outcome of the Republican primary will determine the party’s nominee to challenge the likely Democratic nominee, President Joe Biden, in the November general election.
News Source: BBC