Former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s dueling trips to New Hampshire are underscoring the growing tensions within the GOP ahead of the first presidential debate in August.
DeSantis is facing backlash from the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women (NHFRW) for planning an event Tuesday around the same time the group is hosting Trump. Yet other Republicans in the Granite State have defended DeSantis, and a couple of members of the organization quit in protest against its criticism of the governor.
The tensions that have spilled into public view put the importance of New Hampshire in the GOP primary on full display — as well as the bitter feud between Trump and DeSantis, who has been trailing the former president in almost all polls.
“It’s emblematic of Ron DeSantis’s imploding campaign here in New Hampshire and nationwide,” said Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc....
...DeSantis’s allies say they are keenly aware of the uphill climb he faces taking on a former president in a primary.
“He’s just not able to get the same kind of earned media that Trump is able to get for free and that’s really going to be the big hurdle to get over,” said New Hampshire House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R), who has endorsed DeSantis. “And that goes for every candidate who’s not Donald Trump. I think that Gov. DeSantis is the only one positioned to even be able to try.”
In a statement to The Hill, DeSantis’s campaign described its New Hampshire operation as “top-notch.”
“We are confident that the governor’s message will resonate with voters in New Hampshire as he continues to visit the Granite State and detail his solutions to Joe Biden’s failures,” said Bryan Griffin, press secretary for the governor’s campaign.
The pro-DeSantis PAC Never Back Down is also a major presence for the governor in New Hampshire, releasing statewide ads and boasting more than 83,500 doors knocked on across the state.
“We’ve seen Gov. Ron DeSantis return to New Hampshire time and time again because he’s prioritized the state and the issues that impact its residents the most,” said Dave Vasquez, the PAC’s national press secretary.
Tensions between Trump and DeSantis allies came to a head in the state last week when the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women called out DeSantis and his campaign for holding a campaign event in the Granite State on the same day as Trump. The events have different start times and are an hour away from each other.
