Former President Donald Trump returned to New Hampshire to hold a rally aimed at leveraging the Israel-Hamas war to draw attention to his likely 2024 general election opponent, President Joe Biden. Trump’s speech focused on delivering peace through strength and emphasized that the US and the world were in a more peaceful position during his time in office than they have been under Biden. The event also took place after Trump skipped the third GOP primary debate in Miami and is part of a strategic effort by his campaign to ensure he doesn’t lose momentum heading into the early months of 2024.
Additionally, while in New Hampshire, Trump made promises about signing an executive order to redirect funding for the shelter and transportation of undocumented immigrants to provide shelter and treatment for homeless veterans. His campaign believes that winning Iowa and New Hampshire would effectively force his primary opponents to drop out and donors to consolidate around him. However, several of his rivals, including former governors Nikki Haley of South Carolina and Chris Christie of New Jersey, are also looking to make headway in their own races, emphasizing the importance of the path to staging a real challenge to Trump running through New Hampshire. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu has been shopping around for a Trump alternative to endorse and is aiming to use his state as a pathway for another GOP candidate to weaken Trump’s grip on the party.
