By The Associated Press

The race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is down to two major candidates with just one day to go until New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation GOP primary.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was once seen as Donald Trump’s biggest obstacle in the GOP primary, dropped his bid Sunday and backed the former president over former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.

On Monday, Haley has scheduled events in Franklin and Salem, while Trump has an evening rally in Laconia. The former president showed up for his defamation trial in New York, but the proceedings were canceled for the day after a juror fell ill.

A juror’s illness has forced a postponement of Trump’s defamation trial for at least a day, delaying the question of whether he’ll testify about his yearslong statements about sexual assault accuser E. Jean Carroll.

Trump had been expected to testify as early as Monday about why he has spoken disparagingly about Carroll since she revealed her claims in a 2019 memoir.

The judge says he can’t say that the writer concocted her allegation or that she was motivated by financial or political considerations after a different jury found last year that Trump sexually abused Carroll. Last week, Trump was threatened with expulsion from court for making comments.

FRANKLIN, N.H. — Waiting for Haley in a dark VFW hall, Jennifer Davis said she is backing the former U.N. ambassador and governor because she supports veterans.

Davis, 40, an independent from Pembroke, said she is a caregiver to her husband, a veteran and Purple Heart recipient, and appreciates Haley’s focus on caregivers.

If faced with a Trump versus Biden matchup in November, Davis said she would write in Haley because she doesn’t want more chaos.

“I’m not giving either one of them my vote,” she said. “We need someone who is going to be a more reasonable person who can bring people together, and I think only she can do that.”

CONCORD, N.H. — With Trump closing in on the GOP nomination, the effective audition to become his vice president is underway.

His decisive win in last week’s Iowa caucuses and DeSantis’ departure from the race on Sunday has only heightened what had already been a widespread sense of inevitability.

That has given visits this past week by New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, as well as South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the feel of tryouts for the role reminiscent of Trump’s days as a reality TV host.

Others who have appeared in Iowa and New Hampshire on Trump’s behalf include South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Lake was at a rally Sunday night taking pictures with supporters and holding a baby in the crowd.

Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy appeared with Trump on stage in New Hampshire a day after dropping out of the race, also drawing “VP” chants from the crowd as he delivered a fiery speech.

election 2024