Trump Opens Up 2024 Run, Says He’s ‘More Committed’ Than Ever

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We’re starting right here as a candidate for president,” Trump told party leaders at the New Hampshire GOPs annual meeting in Salem before an afternoon stop in Columbia to introduce his leadership team in South Carolina.

Trump and his allies hope that the events in states that have the most power to choose the nominee will offer a show of force behind the former president after a sluggish start to his campaign that left with many questioning his commitment to running again.

They said, He’s not doing rallies, he’s not campaigning. Maybe he lost that step,” Trump said, addressing the criticism. But, he told the audience, “I’m angrier now and I’m more focused now than ever.

While he has spent the months since his announcement mostly at his Florida club and his nearby golf course, his aides insist they are busy behind the scenes. In recent weeks, his supporters have been reaching out to political operatives and elected officials to drum up support for Trump at a critical juncture when other Republicans are preparing their expected challenges.

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In New Hampshire, Trump touted his campaign agenda, including immigration and crime, and said his policies would be the opposite of President Joe Biden’s. He cited the Democrats’ move to change the election calendar, which cost New Hampshire its primary seat, and accused Biden, a fifth-place finisher in New Hampshire in 2020, of “disgracefully trashing the beloved tradition political.

I hope you remember that during the general election, Trump told party members. Trump himself won the primary twice, but lost the state each time to the Democrats.

While Trump remains the only declared 2024 presidential candidate, potential challengers, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has been Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, is expected to kick off their campaign. in the coming months.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster, US Sen. Lindsey Graham and several members of the state’s congressional delegation plan to attend Trump’s event at the Statehouse.

Trump’s team has struggled to line up support from South Carolina lawmakers, even some who had eagerly backed him before. Some said more than a year from primary voting is too soon to endorse or they are waiting to see who else enters the race. Others say it’s time for the party to transition Trump to a new generation of leadership.

South Carolina House Speaker Murrell Smith was among the legislative leaders awaiting Trump’s arrival, though he said he was there not to make a formal endorsement but to welcome the former president to the state in his role as speaker.

Otherwise, dozens of supporters crowded the ceremonial lobby between the State House and Senate, competing with reporters and camera crews for space between marble-topped tables and a life-sized bronze statue of former Vice President John C. Calhoun.

Dave Wilson, president of the conservative Christian nonprofit Palmetto Family, said some conservative voters may have concerns about Trump’s recent comments that Republicans who oppose abortion without exception have cost the party in the November elections.

But Gerri McDaniel, who worked on Trumps 2016 campaign, rejected the idea that voters were ready to move on from the former president. Some in the media keep saying he is losing support. No, he’s not,” she said. Its only going to be greater than it was before because so many people are angry about what’s happening in Washington.

The event in South Carolina was in some ways off-brand for a one-time reality television star who usually favors large rallies and has tried to cultivate an outward image. Rallies are expensive, and Trump added new financial challenges when he decided to start his campaign in November earlier than many had encouraged. As a result, he is subject to strict fundraising regulations and is prevented from using his well-funded leadership political action committee to pay for such events, which can cost several million dollars.

However, Trump remains the only declared candidate in 2024, and early polls show him as the favorite to win his party’s nomination.

The gun has been fired, and the campaign season has begun, said Stephen Stepanek, outgoing chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party. Trump announced that Stepanek will serve as a senior adviser for his campaign in the state.

Kinnard reported from Columbia, South Carolina, and Colvin from New York.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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