OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former President Donald Trump said he is “very honored” to be endorsed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential nomination race, adding that he is eager “to work together with him to beat Joe Biden.”
“Very honored to have his endorsement,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “I look forward to working together with him to beat Joe Biden, who is the worst and most corrupt president in the history of our country.”
Just days before the New Hampshire primary, DeSantis endorsed Trump and withdrew from the Republican presidential race in 2024. The Florida governor took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, and made the announcement.
“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. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign,” said DeSantis, who was a distant third in the single digits in the latest polls in New Hampshire.
“It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance. They watched his presidency get stymied by relentless resistance, and they see Democrats using lawfare this day to attack him. I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee, and I will honor that pledge,” DeSantis added.
After winning the Iowa caucuses on January 15, Trump firmly established himself as the frontrunner in the race. Trump has a significant lead over Haley in New Hampshire, with a margin of double digits.
Even though Trump has called DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious” while campaigning, he claims he will no longer use the moniker. “No, that name has been officially retired,” Trump informed Fox News.
Recent CNN polling out of the University of New Hampshire suggests that former president Donald Trump has a commanding lead in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary, building on his decisive 30-point victory in last week’s Iowa caucuses.
Among Granite Staters who are likely to vote in the Republican primary, Trump has 50% support, with Haley trailing in second place with 39%.
Among the early primary states, Trump’s opponents have long seen New Hampshire as their best bet to derail his pursuit of a third consecutive Republican presidential nomination. In this early state, voters were often the most receptive to Trump’s opponents, and polls consistently showed that he did not have majority support.
However, the most recent poll indicates that Trump’s support and popularity among Republicans far exceed those of his opponents.
In the Republican primary, Haley has 71% support from moderates and 58% from undeclared voters (New Hampshire’s word for independents) who intend to cast a ballot. Voters with bachelor’s degrees are more likely to support Haley than Trump (38% vs. 50%).
However, when considered separately, these demographics only account for a small fraction of New Hampshire’s likely GOP primary voters: 47% are undeclared, 33% have a bachelor’s degree or above, and approximately 30% consider themselves moderates.
The more powerful opposing factions within each of those groups have largely rallied behind Trump. He has the support of 67% of Republican registration, 71% of conservatives, and 55% of the non-degreed population.
Even more striking is the fact that 88% of Trump’s supporters are set on supporting him, while only 74% of Haley’s supporters are in a comparable state of mind. That works out to 45% of voters strongly supporting Trump, compared to 30% who are on the fence about Haley.
About one-fifth of likely Republican primary voters overall still haven’t decided who to vote for, even though Tuesday’s primary is just around the corner. Currently, 51% of that group is on Haley’s side, 28% are on Trump’s, and 14% are on DeSantis.
New Hampshire Republican primary voters generally believe that Trump will win on Tuesday (70% believe he will carry the day, compared to 36% of Haley supporters).
Plus, more people would be happy with Trump as the party’s presidential nominee than with Haley or DeSantis (61% say they would be enthusiastic or satisfied if Trump won the nomination, compared to 54% for Haley and DeSantis, respectively).
Still, among primary voters, Trump maintains a higher favorable rating than Haley or DeSantis.
