MANCHESTER, N.H. – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis believes a renewed endorsement of former President Donald Trump will be a “huge blow” to Nikki Haley, another rival for the Republican presidential nomination. .
And in an interview with Fox News from Saint Anselm College on the outskirts of New Hampshire's largest city, DeSantis said he will return to the Granite State after a weekend campaigning in South Carolina ahead of Tuesday's presidential primary. Stated.
Mr. DeSantis was interviewed Friday night, hours after Fox News confirmed that South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott would endorse Mr. Trump at a campaign rally in Concord, New Hampshire.
“I actually thought Scott was already endorsing him,” DeSantis said. “I think that's a blow to Nikki Haley.”
Tim Scott supports Donald Trump in 2024 Republican presidential election
Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis of Florida holds a press conference at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, January 19, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
The former president, a leading contender for the Republican nomination, and Haley, a former South Carolina governor who later served as ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration, have called Scott in recent days in an attempt to secure his support. I applied it.
Scott's support for Trump, while he rarely criticized the senator during his campaign for the White House, is a sign that Scott, a former U.S. senator in the state that is hosting the first Southern primary for the Republican nomination, said he rarely criticized the senator during his campaign for the White House. It was the latest major endorsement for the president.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Sen. Lindsey Graham have long supported Mr. Trump.
Haley turns up heat on Trump as she tries to close the gap with Republican front-runner
The state's Republican presidential primary on February 24 is the next major race on the Republican calendar, following the New Hampshire primary. The contest is winner-take-all, with the winner of the Palmetto State receiving all 50 Republican delegates at issue.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Wednesday, January 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
On Monday night, Trump won a landslide victory in the low-turnout Iowa caucuses, with DeSantis coming in second place by a wide margin over Haley. However, according to polls in New Hampshire, Mr. Trump's approval rating hovers around 50%, ahead of Ms. Haley by double digits, while Ms. DeSantis is far behind in third place at single digits.
Presidential election moves toward rematch between Biden and Trump, with no labels preparing for potential third-party tickets
Haley has framed the primary as a two-candidate race between herself and Trump, criticizing DeSantis as “invisible” in New Hampshire.
“I think everything with Haley is falling apart right now,” DeSantis claimed Friday.
He emphasized that Haley spent an exorbitant amount of money in New Hampshire. And she argued that her efforts went too far in the Granite State, where moderates and independent voters hold sway in the state's prestigious primaries.
“One day I was talking to someone who said Nikki Haley's mailman had received seven letters. I was like, well, wait a minute. The first six letters don't all of a sudden get you to vote for the magic seven. It's the same as that. Some parts are too much, he says.
Republican presidential candidate and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley chats with guests and customers during a campaign stop during a campaign stop in Newfields, Newfields, Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Charles・Kulpa) (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The Florida governor will campaign in South Carolina on Saturday and Sunday, but there is some speculation that he may not return to New Hampshire ahead of Tuesday's primary.
But DeSantis told Fox News: “I think our plan is to fly back here from South Carolina on Sunday night.”
“But look, South Carolina is important,” he added. “This is Nikki Haley's hometown. It's clear she can't beat Donald Trump there.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Mr. DeSantis dismissed the idea that he is seeking an exit from the 2024 race, as he could run again in four years.
“2028. That's very far away. I mean in a political moment,” he said. “I'm focused on 2024, which means we have to get our act together as a party. And the Iowa results are really a wake-up call for the party because turnout was so poor. I think it should be a wake-up call.”
Get the latest on the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more with Fox News Digital's Election Hub.
