Trump defeats Haley in NH primary

LACONIA — Former president Donald Trump defeated Nikki Haley in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation Republican primary on Tuesday. Trump won a decisive victory statewide, winning 54% of the Republican votes cast while Haley won 43%.

Trump's margin was even wider in Belknap County, where he won 56% of the vote compared to Haley's 41%. That was the same margin the former president carried Laconia with. Trump got more than 60% of the vote in Alton, Barnstead, Belmont, Gilmanton and Sanbornton. Haley had her strongest showing in Meredith, the only town where she defeated Trump (53% to 43%). Haley was also strong in Gilford and Center Harbor, with 47% of the vote in both towns.

On the eve of the primary election, Trump held his last campaign event Monday at the Margate Resort on Paugus Bay.

Outside the event, attendees of Trump’s campaign rally sang the national anthem while waiting for him to arrive. After hours in the cold, a solitary voice began, and the singing picked up from there. Just a few minutes later, everyone started pouring into the venue, three hours before Trump was scheduled to take the stage. The space in front of the stage filled up, and with more than 600 people in attendance; overflow rooms were required.

Other notable speakers included former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, currently running for the Senate, former presidential candidates North Dakota governor Doug Burgum and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida), U.S Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), and Belknap County Commissioner Peter Spanos.

As Trump walked onstage, people cheered and he began his speech, covering topics like constructing a border wall, criticizing President Joe Biden and his Republican primary opponent Nikki Haley, disapproving environmental efforts like Biden’s push toward electric vehicles and focusing on the drug problem with a specific emphasis on opioids and fentanyl. Trump advocated for the death penalty of drug dealers.

“We must institute the death penalty. It’s actually an act of kindness,” Trump said. “Mothers will never again be forced to watch their children overdosing and hopelessly dying in their arms.”

Edward X. Young, 64, of Brick, New Jersey, was wearing pins he has collected at the 70 Trump rallies he's attended. In the week preceding the primary, he attended five in New Hampshire. He was the second person to arrive at the rally. Young is a diehard Trump supporter since 2016. Young said the last time he was this politically active was as a volunteer in Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign. After Reagan left the presidency, Young felt hopeless, but Trump created the same energy in him years later.

“Donald Trump rose up and he gave us hope again,” Young said. “When he first hit the scene, I said, ‘If this guy could be half as good as Reagan, that'll be great.’ But he's twice as good as Reagan.”

After Trump won New Hampshire by an 11-point spread, Haley said she still wouldn’t give up on her campaign for the Republican nomination. At the Trump rally, Young gave an insight into how dedicated Trump supporters are in supporting the former president.

“Every day there are people who were standing outside for 10, 12, 15 hours, freezing. It's been below zero on some of these days,” he said. “Do you think they would do that for Nikki Haley?”

Haley dedicated a lot of time and money to her campaign in New Hampshire. But another Trump supporter at the rally, Jay Leblanc of Laconia, said he had no doubt Trump was going to win, and he believes people are more motivated to elect him than ever before.

“We had a taste of Trump, and we liked it. And then he left and we didn't like it,” Leblanc said. “Now we're finally like, ‘Alright, we're done with that. We're gonna get this guy back.’ He's the only one. There's no other choice.”

As Trump concluded his speech, light music played through the loud speakers. Trump attempted to change his cadence to line up with the subtle beat, oftentimes failing to do so. But Trump’s message at the end was clear: In order to return to the ideal country for him and his supporters, they had to vote for Trump in 2024.

“We are a nation that has quite simply lost its way. But we are not going to allow this horror to continue,” Trump said. “Three years ago we were a great nation and we will soon be a great nation again. It was hard-working patriots like you that built this country. And it's hard-working patriots like you who are going to save our country. We will fight for America like no one has ever fought before.”