Donald Trump kicks off his 2024 White House bid – and says he’s ‘more committed than ever’ | US news

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Former US president Donald Trump kicked off his 2024 White House bid with stops in New Hampshire and South Carolina, brushing aside criticism that his campaign got off to a slow start.

Speaking to party leaders at the New Hampshire Republicans’ annual meeting in Salem, the former president insisted he is motivated to win as he begins his third White House bid, which he announced in November.

“We are starting here as a candidate for president,” he announced. “I’m angrier now, and I’m more focused now, than ever.”

In contrast to the raucous rallies in front of thousands of devotees that Mr Trump often holds, Saturday’s events were notably muted.

In Columbia, South Carolina, Mr Trump spoke to about 200 people at the state capitol building, with Governor Henry McMaster and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina at his side.

Mr Trump’s sluggish start to his campaign has left some doubting his commitment to running again – but he dismissed the speculation by saying “we have big rallies planned, bigger than ever”.

Once the undisputed center of gravity in the Republican Party, a growing number of elected officials have expressed concerns about Mr Trump’s ability to defeat Democratic President Joe Biden.

Some Republicans are considering whether to launch their own White House bids, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is widely seen as the biggest threat to Mr Trump.

Top Republicans in both states the former president visited — including New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley — are among those weighing their own bids.

In both stops on Saturday, Mr Trump repeated some of the themes of his 2016 campaign, including strong criticism of illegal immigration along the US-Mexico border and China.

But he has also emphasized social issues, perhaps in response to Mr DeSantis, whose relentless focus on the culture wars has helped build his national profile.

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In Columbia, the former president said: “We will stop the radical leftist racists and perverts who are trying to indoctrinate our youth, and we will remove their Marxist hands from our children.

“We will defeat the cult of gender ideology and reaffirm that God created two sexes: male and female. We will not allow men to play women’s sports.”

Mr Trump also made allusions to his claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, calling the poll “ridiculous”.

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