New Hampshire primary live updates: Biden and Trump win, NBC News projects

New Hampshire Democratic chair suggests Phillips should exit race

Mike Memoli

In an interview, New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley suggested that Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota should exit the race.

“I think he was certainly given a level playing field here, ample opportunity to get his message across," Buckley said. "I don’t see the path where other states are as welcoming."

Buckley added, "I think he should take this as a win, as an accomplishment for getting nearly 20%. And I think that let’s look forward to seeing how do we have a successful November, bringing back the House majority, holding, expanding the Senate majority ... and re-electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.”

Nikki Haley refuses to throw in the towel and looks toward South Carolina

CONCORD, N.H. — From inside a hotel ballroom, with supporters whistling, screaming and bouncing campaign signs around her, Nikki Haley wasn’t about to let this be her last stand.

On the night of her second-place finish in New Hampshire, Haley, the former United Nations ambassador and governor of South Carolina, pledged to plow forward to her home state, insisting she still had a path.  

“I have news for all of them. New Hampshire is first in the nation. It is not the last,” Haley said to cheers. “This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go and the next one is my sweet state of South Carolina.”

Haley still had a Charleston rally planned for Wednesday and had already started spending money on a previously announced $4 million ad buy there.

Read the full story here.

Trump declares victory in Nevada. It hasn't voted yet, but he has a point.

In his victory speech, which was largely devoted to attacks on Haley, Trump ribbed her for her declaration that South Carolina was next on the GOP primary calendar, noting correctly that Nevada comes first. Then, he made a pronouncement that would usually seem peculiar.

"I'm pleased to announce we just won Nevada," Trump said onstage.

What's he talking about? Well, a new law enacted in 2021 requires Nevada to hold a state-run primary, but the state GOP is rebelling against that. It's holding its own caucuses, which alone will decide how the state's convention delegates are allocated, and it declared that any candidate running in the state-run primary can't compete in the caucuses.

As my colleague Natasha Korecki explained last year, some Trump opponents bristled at the caucus rules and the state party's closeness with Trump. And a handful of candidates, including Haley, decided to join the state-run primary ballot instead of the caucuses.

So the only active candidates left on the caucus ballot are Trump and pastor Ryan Binkley, who won 0.7% in Iowa and had won just 0.1% of the votes counted in New Hampshire as of 9:45 p.m. ET.

Trump invites rivals-turned-allies to speak during victory speech

Trump invited former GOP rivals-turned-allies to address the crowd during his victory speech after his projected win.

Vivek Ramaswamy called tonight's results "America first defeating America last." He continued to praise Trump and bash Haley, arguing the general election starts tonight.

Later, Trump invited Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina to address the crowd. Scott argued that it was "time for the Republican Party to coalesce around our nominee."

Both Ramaswamy and Scott have previously joined Trump on the trail after they dropped out.

This is Biden's first-ever New Hampshire win

Biden has run for president four times, but he never did well in New Hampshire. In 1988 and 2008, he withdrew before he even made it to the state. In 2020, he came in fifth. And this year, he won — as a write-in candidate.

Trump boasts winning New Hampshire 'every time,' despite two losses

“We won New Hampshire three times now, three. We win it every time, we win the primary, we win the generals,” Trump claimed in his victory speech tonight.

Trump has won three Republican primaries in New Hampshire, but he has yet to win a general election there: He lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020.

“If you remember in 2016, we came here, and we needed that win, and we won by 21 points, and it was great,” he said.

Trump won that primary by 19 points.

Sen. Lindsey Graham throws shade on Haley's hopes for South Carolina

Responding to Haley's optimism about the possibility of a strong performance in her home state, South Carolina, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., posted that voters there "do not share [her] assessment of President Trump" and that they will "be allowed to speak soon."

Graham, once an outspoken critic of Trump, has become a strong ally of him and has, along with many other South Carolina officials, endorsed him.

Haley to address Virgin Islands GOP (via Zoom) tomorrow

Haley has vowed to take her campaign to South Carolina, where she used to be governor and where Republicans will hold a primary on Feb. 24.

But she also is carving out some time for the U.S. Virgin Islands. GOP leaders there have been working hard to drum up interest in their Feb. 8 caucuses, and in a statement tonight Chairman Gordon Ackley announced that Haley will address party members tomorrow morning. An email from Dennis Lennox, the executive director of the Virgin Islands GOP, noted that Haley will appear via Zoom — not in person.

Trump was invited to address the same gathering, according to Lennox's email, but he has opted to send Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, to represent him at Commit to Caucus receptions Friday and Saturday.

“The 2024 Republican nomination is no different than any previous nomination in that it is decided by delegates coming out of all 56 states and territories,” Ackley said. “Our neutral state party created a fair and level playing field that attracted eight Republican candidates, of whom two are still active candidates. As a result, we have seen unprecedented attention.”

These 3 voters supported Biden in 2020. But they'll vote for Trump if he beats Haley for the nomination.

LACONIA, N.H. — Nancy Simoneau, Paul Simoneau and Devon Mello all have something in common: They voted for Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire primary but would vote for Trump in a Trump-vs.-Biden rematch.

All three of them voted for Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020, and they would vote for Trump if he ends up being the nominee in the general election. The Simoneaus called Trump “unstable” and a “criminal” and questioned why he has so much support.

Paul Simoneau explained that they are fearful of the flip side: “Kamala Harris stepping in if something happens to President Biden.”

He summed it up as being “caught between a rock and a hard place.” He added, “We’re not enamored with Trump whatsoever. We do not want that. Unfortunately, President Biden is getting a little old.”

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Trump bashes Haley as she vows to stay in the race

Trump taunted Haley in a series of posts on his Truth Social platform while she spoke to supporters in New Hampshire, referring to her as "DELUSIONAL!!!" as she vowed to stay in the race for the GOP nomination.

He also posted images of polling data showing that Haley would lose to Biden in the general election.

Then, in an interview with Fox News, Trump said, "If she doesn’t drop out, we have to waste money instead of spending it on Biden, which is our focus.” 

Earlier today, Trump told reporters that "I don’t care if she stays in" the race after New Hampshire.

Hawley calls for GOP to unite behind Trump

Frank Thorp V

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., posted to X calling for Republicans to unite.

"Trump is the clear winner," he wrote. "Time to stop fighting each other and unite to beat Biden."

Haley indicated in her speech tonight that she would stay in the race.

NBC News exit poll: First-time GOP primary voters support Haley

According to NBC News exit poll results, 63% of first-time New Hampshire GOP primary voters backed Haley, compared to 31% for Trump.

The survey found that first-time voters made up 18% of the Republican primary electorate, while returning voters made up 80%.

By comparison, 15% of New Hampshire Republican primary voters said in 2016 that it was their first time voting in a presidential primary. In that race, a 38% plurality of first-time primary voters in the state broke for Trump.

What's next for the GOP? Nevada, where Haley isn't on the ballot

As Haley declared tonight that she's in it for the long haul, she looked ahead on the GOP primary calendar.

"This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go. And the next one is my sweet state of South Carolina," she said.

The problem is: That's not accurate. The next contest on the GOP nominating calendar is the Nevada caucuses. But Haley won't be on the ballot in the caucuses, the only contest that will allocate delegates toward the nomination. She'll be running in the state-run primary, instead, in a contest with no real prize outside of a potential nice headline. Trump will be the only major active candidate running in the caucuses. So he's set to win the vast majority, if not all, of the state's delegates.

So while South Carolina may be the next competitive state on the GOP nominating calendar, Nevada is the next one that awards delegates. And Haley won't get any.

Biden campaign says tonight shows that 'anti-freedom MAGA movement' has taken over the GOP

The Biden campaign slammed Trump in a new statement, saying tonight's results show that "the election denying, anti-freedom MAGA movement has completed its takeover of the Republican Party."

"Trump is offering Americans the same extreme agenda that has cost Republicans election after election: promising to undermine American democracy, reward the wealthy on the backs of the middle class, and ban abortion nationwide," campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said. "Joe Biden sees things differently."

Chavez Rodriguez argued that Trump is heading toward the general election, pointing out that he will face "the only person to have ever beaten him at the ballot box: Joe Biden."

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas endorses Trump

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said in on X that he was endorsing Trump, citing his projected victory in New Hampshire and saying that "to beat Biden, Republicans need to unite around a single candidate, and it’s clear that President Trump is Republican voters’ choice."

Cornyn, the former second-in-command for Senate Republicans, is widely seen as a possible successor to Senate Majority Leader McConnell, R-Ky.

It is Trump's 28th Senate endorsement. No Republican senators have endorsed Haley.

Haley congratulates Trump on win but says 'we're just getting started'

Speaking to supporters in Concord, Haley called her performance "a great night." She congratulated Trump on his victory, calling it "well-earned," but cautioned that "New Hampshire is first in the nation, not last in the nation."

Haley reiterated her calls for a one-on-one debate with Trump, saying that if Trump disagreed with her characterization that he has issues with mental competency, "he should have no problem standing on the debate stage" with her.

Her speech turned to the future, specifically addressing voters in South Carolina, highlighting her record in office there as governor. She ended the speech telling supporters, "We're just getting started."

NBC News exit poll: Breaking down Trump's win

Trump is winning nearly every traditional Republican voting bloc in the New Hampshire primary, according to NBC News exit poll results.

Three-quarters of voters who self-identified as Republican and 88% of those who identified as very conservative backed Trump. He won 66% support from voters without college degrees, up from 42% in the 2016 primary.

He also won a majority of voters with incomes of less than $50,000 (70%) and who are white evangelicals (66%). Roughly half of voters over 65 years old (53%) also went for Trump. 

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NBC News exit poll: Trump wins economy, immigration voters

Trump won among New Hampshire Republican primary participants who said the economy and immigration were the most important issues to their votes, according to NBC News exit poll results.

Haley won with voters who prioritized abortion and foreign policy.

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Donald Trump wins New Hampshire Republican primary

NBC News projects that Donald Trump has won the New Hampshire Republican primary, securing at least 11 of the state's 22 delegates.

See the latest results here.

Joe Biden wins New Hampshire Democratic primary

NBC News projects that Joe Biden has won the New Hampshire Democratic primary, with 1% of the votes that have been counted so far.

See the latest results here.

George Santos spotted at Trump watch party in New Hampshire

Garrett Haake

George Santos, the disgraced former congressman from New York who was expelled from the House last year, was seen mingling by the bar a few moments ago at the Sheraton Nashua Hotel, where Trump’s watch party is being held. 

There’s a line of people waiting to talk to him near the bar.

Trump lawyer Habba spotted at New Hampshire campaign event

Garrett Haake

Trump’s attorney Alina Habba is at his campaign’s return party in New Hampshire.

Habba, who is representing Trump in the New York civil defamation case brought by E. Jean Carroll, became the subject of discussion when she told the court yesterday that her family had Covid and she had been exposed. After a juror tested positive, the case was delayed, and it isn’t scheduled to resume until Thursday.

Conservatives call Biden an election denier when he refers to McAuliffe as 'the real governor'

Biden greeted a campaign rally today by saying, "Hello, Virginia, and the real governor, Terry McAuliffe," to scattered laughter from the crowd.

McAuliffe, a Democrat, was defeated by Republican Glenn Youngkin during the 2021 gubernatorial race.

The RNC seized on the remark, calling Biden an "election denier." Youngkin tweeted separately, writing, "Mr. President, I'm right here."

Biden campaign spokesperson Seth Schuster criticized the RNC’s post and criticized any coverage of it.

“It is sadly not surprising that the RNC would make a false comparison this ridiculous,” Schuster said, adding that it was “deeply disappointing” that any media outlet would “legitimize their baseless attack with a story — particularly when Donald Trump has promised to rule as a dictator one day one and encouraged his supporters to violently stop the peaceful transfer of power in our democracy.”

Democrats have repeatedly called out Trump for falsely saying he won the 2020 election. Biden has also made preserving democracy a central part of his campaign and frequently highlighted Trump's response to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

NBC News exit poll: Majority of GOP primary voters oppose federal abortion ban

Two-thirds (67%) of New Hampshire Republican primary voters said they oppose a federal law banning abortions nationwide, while 27% said they support one, according to early NBC News exit poll results.

Those results were nearly completely flipped in Iowa last week: 61% of GOP caucusgoers said they were in favor of a federal abortion ban, compared to 35% who said they opposed it, the entrance poll found.

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N.H. secretary of state says 10 communities have requested additional GOP ballots

The secretary of state's office confirms 10 communities have requested additional Republican ballots. 

When are these ballots expected to arrive? 

They have all been delivered or are almost there.

Are people waiting in line? 

There are no long waits that officials are aware of — these communities requested more after that anticipated that they would need more before polls close.

What time did they request the ballots? 

Throughout the day, not at specific times.

Which communities requested ballots?

• Hanover
• Hopkinton
• Holderness
• Amherst
• Brentwood
• Concord
• Hollis
• Newmarket
• Windham
• Manchester

21 names are on the Democratic ballot tonight; Biden's isn't one of them

Mike Memoli

Diana Paulsen

Twenty-one candidates appear on the Democratic primary ballot in New Hampshire, from familiar names like Marianne Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota to total unknowns. Although Biden's name will not appear on the ballot except as a write-in, there will be one President on the ballot: President R. Boddie of Atlanta, a former life coach who ran for governor of the state in 2022.

The order of the names is determined by a random alphabet drawing and differs from town to town. All ballots include a write-in line, which supporters of Biden can use to cast their votes for him.

NBC News exit poll: Majority of New Hampshire GOP voters say they are not part of the 'MAGA' movement

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of New Hampshire Republican primary voters said they do not consider themselves part of Trump's "MAGA" movement, according to early NBC News exit poll results.

Among Trump voters, 59% said they consider themselves part of the MAGA movement, while 36% said they do not. 

Last week's Iowa entrance poll found that 46% of GOP caucusgoers said they were part of the MAGA movement.

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Young voter says he's voting 'ceasefire' to send a message to Biden

Here in New Hampshire, there’s been a push among young voters to "Vote Ceasefire" by writing the word in on their ballots in response to the Israel-Hamas war. 

NBC News caught up with a voter, Calvin George, 21, who said he did so, to hear his rationale. 

George said hopes his vote sends a message to Biden that "it's unacceptable" that any candidate "could be supporting implicitly or explicitly the current genocide happening in Gaza."

He also says he doesn't know what he'll do if Trump and Biden are the nominees of their respective parties.

"I don’t like Trump. I think that’s pretty clear. I also don’t like Joe Biden. At some point, I’m going to have to make a call," he said. "Is it worth sacrificing kind of my values to support somebody who’s, I think, marginally less bad? But really, I hope at the end of the day that I won’t have to make that decision, but it’s becoming more and more likely that I will."

NBC News exit poll: GOP primary voters split on whether Biden legitimately won

New Hampshire Republican primary voters were split over whether Biden legitimately won the 2020 election, according to early NBC News exit poll results: 49% said he did, and 49% said he did not.

That’s a stark difference from last week's Iowa entrance poll, in which two-thirds of GOP caucusgoers said Biden did not legitimately win the presidency.

'I Voted' stickers in New Hampshire designed by fourth graders

The “I VOTED” stickers handed out across New Hampshire today after residents cast their ballots were designed by fourth graders in the state.

Haley spokesperson responds to McDaniel: 'This is not a coronation'

Alex Rhoades

Ali Vitali

RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said that if "Trump comes out strong tonight, that’s a clear message being sent from our primary voters."

"Another message we’re hearing is unity — from President Trump, Governor DeSantis, and Senator Scott," McDaniel said in a statement to NBC News. "Republicans know that if we’re not united as a Party behind our nominee we won’t be able to beat Biden."

A spokesperson for Haley responded that there’s still “plenty of time” for Republicans to rally around the nominee, who they say will be Haley.

"We still stand by our statement that this is not a coronation," the spokesperson added. "Two states have decided. Let more. People deserve a choice."

How the NBC News Decision Desk makes election calls in 2024 races

John Lapinski

Charles Riemann

Here’s how NBC News calls races on election night, the steps it takes to verify results and the answers to some frequently asked questions.

How does NBC News project the outcomes of races?

Early on election night, the NBC News Decision Desk uses exit poll data to determine whether uncompetitive races can be called. Most races are called based on analyses of precinct- and county-level vote returns. The analyses also examine differences between early and Election Day votes. In close contests, a careful analysis of how much of the vote has not been counted is a crucial part of the process. No race is projected until the Decision Desk is confident of the winner.

NBC News will not project a winner in a race until after the last scheduled poll-closing time in a state.

What kinds of calls and characterizations does the Decision Desk make?

Here are the key Decision Desk calls and characterizations our audience can expect to hear from NBC News on election night:

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NBC News exit poll: Majority of GOP primary voters identify as conservative

Six in 10 New Hampshire Republican primary voters identified as ideologically conservative, according to early NBC News exit poll results. Among them, 24% said they were very conservative, while 39% said they are somewhat conservative.

Another 31% said they were ideologically moderate, and only 6% identified as liberal.

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Top Biden aide to leave White House for campaign leadership role

Monica Alba

Mike Memoli

Top Biden adviser Jennifer O’Malley Dillon is expected to leave the White House and take a leadership position in the re-election campaign, according to two sources familiar with the decision.

It is a significant staff move, made in part, these people said, because Trump has consolidated support in the Republican Party faster than anticipated.

It’s unclear what exactly O’Malley Dillon’s role will be, but campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez will keep that title for now, a source said.

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NBC News exit poll: Majorities of GOP voters would be satisfied with Trump or Haley as the nominee

Over half of New Hampshire Republican primary voters said they would be satisfied if Trump or Haley won the party's presidential nomination, according to early NBC News exit poll results.

Overall, 56% said they would be satisfied if Trump becomes the nominee, while 43% said they would be dissatisfied. As for Haley, 55% said they would be satisfied if she is the nominee, compared to 43% who said they would be dissatisfied.

Twenty-two percent of Trump voters said they would be satisfied if Haley won the nomination, compared to 92% of Haley voters. Only 11% of Haley voters said they would be satisfied if Trump won the nomination, compared to 98% of Trump voters.

Five towns to watch in New Hampshire’s GOP primary

New Hampshire reports election results by town, so there are lots of places to watch for clues about whether Trump or Haley are in for a good night. 

For Trump, keep an eye on the southern part of the state near the Massachusetts border and towns along Interstate-93, places that tend to be GOP strongholds where he can run up the score with Republicans. And for Haley, watch places where former Ohio Gov. John Kasich overperformed in 2016, like Concord and some towns along the Connecticut River Valley in the western part of the state, which is home to some more moderate voters.

Here are two towns to watch for Trump’s standing:

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NBC News exit poll: Economy, immigration top list of GOP primary voter concerns

The economy and immigration are the top priorities of Republican primary voters in New Hampshire, according to early results from the NBC News exit poll.

The survey found that 34% said the economy was the issue that mattered most in deciding their votes, followed by 31% who said immigration, 17% who said foreign policy and 11% who said abortion. Iowa Republican caucusgoers expressed similar opinions last week.

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NBC News exit poll: New Hampshire GOP primary voters prioritize candidate who shares their values

A plurality of New Hampshire Republican primary voters were looking for a candidate who shared their values, according to early NBC News exit poll results.

Out of four possible candidate qualities, 31% said sharing their values mattered most to their vote, followed by 26% who wanted a candidate who fights for people like them, and 24% who gravitated toward a candidate with the right temperament. Just 13% placed priority on a candidate who can defeat Biden in November.

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The Smiths' Johnny Marr tells Trump to 'please, please, 'please' stop using their music

Trump has drawn the ire of another musician for his pre-rally playlist.

Johnny Marr, the legendary guitarist and songwriter for the influential English rock bad The Smiths, said today that he plans to stop Trump from using his music.

After reporters noted that Trump had made the band part of the mix (Trump appears to have used the song "Please Please Please, Let Me Get What I Want" at a rally in September), Marr suggested in a post on X that he plans to take action.

"I never in a million years would’ve thought this could come to pass. Consider this s--- shut right down right now," he wrote.

Marr joins Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, The Rolling Stones, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna and others who have all told Trump to stop using their music at rallies.

Protesters repeatedly interrupt Biden campaign event

Tara Prindiville

Monica Alba

Caroline Kenny

Biden's campaign rally today was interrupted at least a dozen times by separate protesters.

Multiple protesters yelled at Biden to "stop genocide," called him "Genocide Joe" or carried Palestinian flags. The protesters appeared to be strewn throughout the theater, not in the same location. It was not immediately clear what all of the protesters were saying.

The crowd frequently drowned out protesters with chants of "four more years," while at other times, Biden tried to power through his remarks.

"They feel deeply," Biden responded after one of the protesters interrupted the rally.

NBC News exit poll: Just under half of New Hampshire GOP primary voters are independents

Just under half of New Hampshire Republican primary voters today identified as independents, according to early results from the NBC News exit poll.

Sightly more New Hampshire primary voters have so far identified as Republican (47%) than independent (45%) or Democratic (8%).

The share of voters in this year’s primary who considered themselves to be independents is higher than in 2016, when 42% of New Hampshire GOP primary voters identified as independents. The share of voters who identified as Democrats is also up from 3% in 2016.

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Rep. Kelly Armstrong launches bid for North Dakota governor after Burgum says he won't seek third term

A day after North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum announced he won’t seek a third term, GOP Rep. Kelly Armstrong launched his bid to succeed him.

First elected in 2018, Armstrong is not well known on Capitol Hill. He is the at-large representative for North Dakota and served as GOP chairman of the state for three years before heading to Congress.

The “solutions to our biggest challenges are not going to come from Washington. North Dakotans will always do better when we are in charge of our own destiny. That’s why I’ve decided to come home to run for Governor,” Armstrong said in a statement. 

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After Trump’s sweeping win in Iowa, can Haley’s campaign survive if she loses the New Hampshire primary? NBC's "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker and NBC national political correspondent Steve Kornacki joined "TODAY" this morning to break down the state of the race as voters head to the polls.

These liberal-leaning voters explain why they are voting for Haley

HANOVER, N.H. — Three self-identified liberal-leaning undeclared voters told NBC News they’re voting for Nikki Haley today not necessarily because they’re huge fans of the Republican, but because they want to stop Trump from reaching the White House again.

“I’m more voting here today because I don’t want to see Trump win,” said Tommy Trowern, 19, a student at Dartmouth University. “I don’t care who it is, whether it’s Nikki Haley, or Biden, or Dean Phillips, I just can’t see Trump win again.”

Trowern is registered to vote in New Hampshire, but is originally from Washington, D.C. He said the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol is a top reason why he opposes Trump.

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Ramaswamy, campaigning for Trump, doesn't rule out VP

Isabelle Schmeler

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Vivek Ramaswamy did not rule out running as Trump’s No. 2 during a stop for the former president's campaign here.

Ramaswamy, the former presidential candidate, said he’s spoken with Trump “about a lot of policies." Asked if he'd talked with Trump about being his running mate, Ramaswamy said he's told the former president that he is willing to do “whatever is required to help this country in the maximum way possible."

He said that he hasn’t “ruled out anything” and is “keeping an open mind" and that he has not talked to either Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis.

At another stop outside Windham High School, a crowd of Trump supporters greeted Ramaswamy taking pictures, asking for autographs and chanting “VP! VP!” 

When someone in the crowd said they want to see him as vice president, Ramaswamy said he would do “whatever’s right for the country.”

McConnell again dodges on Trump: 'We’re all watching New Hampshire with great interest'

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., declined to weigh in when asked twice during his weekly press conference today about whether he plans to endorse Trump.

“I’m not gonna have any announcement to make on the presidential election. In fact, you all may recall, I’ve stayed essentially out of that. And when I've changed my mind about that, I’ll let you know.” he said.

Asked if he feels he needs to mend his relationship with the former president, McConnell said he had "no news to make," adding: "We’re all watching New Hampshire with great interest."

Top state election official predicts a healthy turnout

Mike Memoli

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan said that he does not expect that a late robocall impersonating Biden, which was likely AI-generated, will impact turnout in today's primary.

“The voters are pretty savvy about what’s going on,” he said in an interview as he visited a heavily Democratic voting site here. “But the artificial intelligence ability to create opportunities like that is of concern to secretaries of state across the country, and we have to find ways to aggressively and effectively combat that.”

Scanlan on Friday had predicted a record turnout for the GOP primary, but said the narrowing of the GOP field “certainly will impact the turnout — I’m just not quite sure how yet.”

“I still expect a healthy turnout on the Republican side,” he added.

Despite the expectation of higher-than-normal write-in votes because of Biden’s decision not to file for the ballot, Scanlan said the vote count should still “come in relatively quickly.”

DeSantis blames campaign defeat on 'checked out' voters

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blamed “checked out” Republican voters who saw Trump’s victory in the primary as a “fait accompli” for the outcome of his unsuccessful presidential bid.

Appearing for his first post-campaign interview on Blaze TV’s "Steve Deace Show," DeSantis said his team first noticed the lack of enthusiasm among potential Iowa caucusgoers in the fall.

“They did not want to see Trump nominated again, but they had basically been told that it was inevitable, that it was over,” he said of the race, claiming that those Iowans “just totally dropped out of the process.” 

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Arizona lawmaker proposes giving state Legislature power to choose presidential electors

An Arizona Republican lawmaker who attended the Jan. 6, 2021, rally has introduced a bill that would give the Legislature power to allocate the state's Electoral College votes.

“The Legislature, and no other official, shall appoint presidential electors in accordance with the United States Constitution,” the proposed resolution reads, which was introduced by state Sen. Anthony Kern.

Legally, U.S. presidents are elected by slates of presidential electors; Arizona state law says those electors must cast their vote for the candidate who won the state's presidential election.

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Trump predicts 'they're going to all vote for me again' in N.H. primary

Garrett Haake

LONDONDERRY, N.H. — Speaking to reporters and a crowd of supporters in front of a polling site, Trump expressed confidence, saying that he expects voters in the state to turn out for him.

“You’ve talked about trying to unify the party. How do you bring these Nikki Haley voters, some of whom voted for you in 2020, but say they don’t want to now? How do you bring them back into the tent?” NBC News asked Trump.

The former president predicted: “They’re going to all vote for me again.”

“I’m not sure we need too many. I think that Biden is the worst president in the history of this country,” he said. “But we’re gonna all come back. They’re all coming back. And I think you see that here.”

Closing ads: Haley stresses likeability, Trump hits her on Social Security

While tonight’s outcome isn’t predetermined, one thing is: Starting tomorrow, New Hampshire residents will get a respite from wall-to-wall political advertising that’s dominated the state in recent weeks, particularly since Trump’s big win in Iowa.

Wading through the closing arguments from the pro-Haley and pro-Trump forces, clear themes emerge: Haley and her allies are warning voters to act now to avoid another matchup between Trump and Biden, while Trump’s side is trying to chip away at Haley on the all-important issue of Social Security.

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As my colleague Alexandra Marquez reported yesterday, the pro-Haley side has spent twice as much as Trump’s side has in the last week — the top two spots being one from her campaign that shows Trump and Biden side by side while claiming both men are “consumed by chaos, negativity and grievances of the past" and another from her aligned super PAC featuring New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu praising Haley with a similar message. Each ad has had at least $1 million in spending behind it, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.

The top ad from the pro-Trump side draws from what’s long been a popular strategy for those looking to cut their opponent down a size with seniors — a recent Trump campaign ad plays on Haley’s comments about raising Social Security eligibility for younger workers, arguing that “Americans were promised a secure retirement [but] Nikki Haley’s plan ends that.”

Haley mocks Trump's and Biden's age

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Haley, 52, blasted Trump and Biden for their age during an appearance on CNN this afternoon.

“You can’t say that when you’re 80 that you’re not in decline,” said Haley, referencing Biden who is 81, and Trump who would be 82 by the end of his second term should he be re-elected.

Haley questioned Trump’s mental competency, pointing out recent slip-ups on the stump.

“We’ve seen him get con