Trump, buoyed by dominant trend, tells Haley to bow out

“That name (Desanctimonuious) is officially retired,” former U.S. President Donald Trump declared during a Sunday visit to his Manchester, New Hampshire, campaign headquarters. He has been derisively calling Florida Governor Ron DeSantis 'DeSanctimonious' since DeSantis rose as a 'smart Trump' and became a political opponent in the 2022 midterm elections. Trump has now decided to drop this nickname.

In anticipation of New Hampshire's first Republican presidential primary scheduled on Tuesday, Trump went as far as to suggest that Nikki Haley, the ex-U.S. Ambassador to the UN and his sole remaining challenger, exit the race. At a Rochester, New Hampshire rally the same day, the former president confidently stated he could significantly outperform Haley, proclaiming, "Now is the time for the Republican Party to come together."

"DeSantis stepping aside poses a significant challenge for ex-Ambassador Haley," The New York Times observed. "Trump has advanced further in the race for the Republican nomination." Trump rallied his supporters to vote, asserting, "We're about to break new ground." Trump secured 51% support in the Iowa caucuses last Monday, the opening act of the Republican presidential primaries, despite a packed roster of candidates.

In a concurrent CNN survey of New Hampshire voters, Trump led with 50% support, outpacing former Ambassador Haley by 11 percentage points. Intriguingly, 62% of DeSantis' backers indicated they'd support Trump if DeSantis pulled out. In a separate Emerson College poll that day, Trump earned 53%, while Haley garnered 37%, marking a 16-point lead.


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