Trump heads to New Hampshire, South Carolina in bid to jump-start campaign

By Gram Slattery

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Jan 28 (Reuters) – Former U.S.
President Donald Trump will swing through New Hampshire and
South Carolina on Saturday in the first two stops of a
presidential campaign that has largely idled since he launched
his new White House bid in November.

Trump will speak first at the New Hampshire Republican
Party’s annual meeting in Salem before heading to Columbia,
South Carolina’s capital, where he will unveil his leadership
team in the state.

Both states are seen as potential kingmakers, as they are
among the first to hold their nominating contests. How a
candidate performs there often makes or breaks their campaign.

Political observers in both the Republican and Democratic
parties will be keenly watching to see who shows up to support
Trump at the events.

Once the undisputed center of gravity in the Republican
Party, an increasing number of elected officials have expressed
concerns about his ability to beat Democratic President Joe
Biden, if he decides to run again, as is widely expected.

Rob Godfrey, a Columbia-based political strategist, said
many Republicans are holding off on a Trump endorsement because
of the wide range of possible candidates who could run for the
party’s nomination.

“I think there are a fair number of people that are keeping
their powder dry because there’s such a deep bench for
Republicans this year,” he said.

In New Hampshire, Republican Governor Chris Sununu has said
he is having conversations about a primary bid, and many
high-ranking Republicans there – including those who supported
Trump previously – say publicly they are looking for an
alternative.

In South Carolina, where Trump will appear alongside
Governor Henry McMaster and Senator Lindsey Graham, there will
be a number of conspicuous absences.

Among those not attending are the state party chairman, at
least three Republican U.S. representatives from the state and
South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott, who has himself been
floated as a potential Republican presidential candidate. Scott
and others have cited scheduling conflicts.

Several Republican state lawmakers decided against attending
after failing to gain assurances from Trump’s team that doing so
would not be considered an endorsement, according to a person
with knowledge of the planning.

“You know, there’s a lot of remaining appetite for Trump,
and I think a lot of people still believe that Trump is being
treated unfairly,” said Reese Boyd III, a Republican official
from the Myrtle Beach area.

“But you also see that softening from some groups.”

To be sure, Trump retains a significant base of support,
particularly among the grassroots. While he loses in some
head-to-head polls against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis,
another potential competitor, he wins by significant margins
when poll respondents are presented with a broader field of
options.

Since launching his campaign in November, Trump has
maintained a relatively low profile. He called multiple
conservative Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives in
early January to persuade them to vote for Kevin McCarthy, an
ally, for the new Speaker.

Most brushed off his entreaties, though McCarthy was elected
to the position after a bruising battle.

As with previous events, many Republicans will be looking at
whether Trump offers a forward-looking vision or instead
retreads false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from
him.

The latter opinion has proven unpopular with independent
voters, and political analysts say it was a factor in the
Republicans’ underwhelming performance in the November
congressional midterm elections.
(Reporting by Gram Slattery in Columbia, South Carolina;
Additional reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by
Ross Colvin and Daniel Wallis)