Donald Trump filed for New Hampshire’s GOP presidential primary in person Monday — reveling in his support in a state where he enjoys a 30-point lead against his Republican foes.
Trump then delivered remarks at a campaign rally in Derry, attacking several 2024 candidates and pointing out that he won the Republican primaries in 2016 and 2020.
“Bad things are happening, but we keep going up,” he said.
The deadline for candidates to register for the state’s primary is Friday. GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was the first major candidate to file in the early primary state and is set to return Tuesday for a full-day tour alongside Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. A date for the actual primary has not yet been set.
Fellow Republicans former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence and conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have all already filed in the Granite State.
Haley’s campaign hit Trump before he traveled to New Hampshire on Monday morning, pointing to reports that his camp is not paying for the local police presence while he travels around. Her campaign said she pays for local cop security coverage for herself.
“The Trump campaign owes $3,788 to law enforcement in Concord, NH, and $12,870 in Manchester, NH. If Trump refuses to pay, the cost will be borne by hardworking New Hampshire taxpayers,” the Haley campaign said in a statement entitled “Haley to Trump: Fund the Police.”
The Trump campaign did not respond to Haley’s claim.
Polls show Trump as the clear front runner in the Granite State, outpacing the GOP field by over 30 points, according to Real Clear Politics’ average. Trump is garnering 45% of the vote, while Haley is in second with 14.2% and DeSantis is in third with 10.4%.