On Politics: Trump’s New Hampshire win suggests trouble ahead
Trump's New Hampshire win suggests trouble ahead
Donald Trump has romped through Iowa and New Hampshire, muscling out rivals for the Republican nomination and soaking up adoration from crowds convinced he will again be the president of the United States. But a harsher reality may await him outside the welcoming bubble of Republican primaries. His campaign has enduring vulnerabilities that were laid bare in New Hampshire, where many independents and college-educated voters supported his rival, Nikki Haley. That points to trouble ahead for Trump when the presidential race leaves MAGA world for the broader U.S. electorate, which narrowly elected him in 2016 and rejected him less than four years ago. On the Democratic side on Tuesday, President Biden easily won in New Hampshire despite not being on the ballot. (His supporters ran a write-in campaign after he boycotted the state for holding its primary earlier than the Democratic Party had authorized.) But he faces his own challenges. "The general election really starts now, and you've got the two most unpopular political leaders going who are going to be facing off against each other," said Neil Newhouse, a Republican pollster. "It's a lesser-of-two-evils election." Unlike four years ago, Biden is widely disliked and most Americans disapprove of his job performance. At 81, four years older than Trump, he faces deep skepticism about his age. He is also struggling to hold onto the coalition of voters who carried him to the White House. He has highlighted issues like abortion rights and democracy to shore up his base and win support from independents and moderate Republicans. Like Trump, Biden faces skepticism from within his own party. His policies on immigration and climate, along with Biden's support for Israel in its war in Gaza, have chipped away at his support, especially among young voters, Black and Latino voters, and liberals. "It is now clear that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee," Biden said after the New Hampshire primary. "And my message to the country is the stakes could not be higher." Newhouse warned about reading too much into the New Hampshire results, pointing out that the state, and its independents, lean left. New Hampshire has voted for Democrats in every presidential election since 2004. Still, he warned that his party had to ensure the election was not a referendum on Trump. "When voters are just going up and down on Trump, they're thumbs down," he said. What else to know
Too little, too late?Ron DeSantis is finally acting like the pugnacious and personally compelling candidate many Republicans thought they were getting last year — but only after dropping out of the presidential race.
On Monday, a day after suspending his campaign and endorsing Donald Trump, DeSantis took one of his snappiest shots at the former president, after having pulled his punches for most of the campaign. The Florida governor was responding on X to a Politico article headlined: "Some Florida Republicans want to pay Trump's legal bills." His reply? "But not the Florida Republican who wields the veto pen." (The legislator who had proposed the bill quickly said she would withdraw it.) Then, on Tuesday, DeSantis displayed a side of himself as a father that he had largely avoided while he was still in the race, posting a video on X that showed him chatting about the N.F.L. playoffs with his young son, Mason, who was sitting on his lap. All of it raised questions about why DeSantis had been so stiff and controlled as a candidate — and, ultimately, his future as a politician. In his first interview after dropping out, he was asked on Blaze TV whether he might seek the presidency again.
DeSantis, 45, left the door open, suggesting it was a possibility "if we have a country left by 2028." —Nicholas Nehamas More politics news and analysisJustice deferred: Donald Trump's civil trial involving the writer E. Jean Carroll was postponed until Thursday. Union man: The United Automobile Workers endorsed Biden. Climate wars: The Biden administration is pausing its approval of a natural gas export facility. Campaign shake-up: Biden is set to send two top aides to take control of his re-election effort. Third in the nation: The next delegates up for grabs are in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Read past editions of the newsletter here. If you're enjoying what you're reading, please consider recommending it to others. They can sign up here. Have feedback? Ideas for coverage? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at onpolitics@nytimes.com.
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