Donald Trump to campaign in Portsmouth, Rochester ahead of NH primary: What to know

PORTSMOUTH — Former President Donald Trump will campaign in Portsmouth on Wednesday in advance of the New Hampshire presidential primary, according to his campaign.

Trump is returning to Portsmouth to speak at the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside hotel, the Market Street site where the Republican landed an endorsement from the New England Police Benevolent Association in 2015. The event is open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m.

The former president is among the candidates visiting New Hampshire ahead of the state's Jan. 23 presidential primary.

Will it be Trump or Haley in NH? A former GOP chair and Lincoln Project founder weighs in

After the Iowa caucus on Monday, Trump’s trip to New Hampshire will begin in Atkinson on Tuesday night, followed by the Wednesday event in Portsmouth, according to his campaign event schedule. On Friday, Trump will deliver remarks in Concord, then he will hold a Saturday rally in Manchester before stumping in Rochester on Sunday.

Trump’s Lilac City speech will be held at the Rochester Opera House on Sunday. The public event will begin at 7 p.m.

In early October, Trump attended a closed-door meeting at the AC Hotel in Portsmouth. His campaign confirmed the meeting and stated it was with with law enforcement officials but did not release additional information.

In December, Trump held a rally at the Whittemore Center on the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham.

Portsmouth has been on Trump’s campaign schedule in the past. In October 2016, a city car dealership hosted him for a rally. In July 2020, he canceled a re-election campaign event scheduled for Portsmouth International Airport at Pease.

Haley has moved closer to Trump in polls, will stop in Rochester

Former South Carolina governor and Trump-era United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley has consistently polled second to Trump in New Hampshire, though her stock has risen in recent weeks. A CNN and University of New Hampshire poll conducted between Jan. 4 and Jan. 8 found that 39% of likely Republican New Hampshire primary voters would support Trump, while Haley trailed him at 32%.

Polling averages from RealClear Politics show a different story, however. Between Jan. 3 and Jan. 10, the organization found that Trump was averaging 43.5% in New Hampshire Republican primary polls, while Haley averaged 29.3%. Behind them were now-former GOP 2024 presidential candidate Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former biotech executive and author Vivek Ramaswamy.

Haley, who received a key New Hampshire endorsement from Gov. Chris Sununu, DeSantis and Ramaswamy are all expected to make final pitches to New Hampshire voters in the days to come. Haley announced a Tuesday night event at Bretton Woods.

On Wednesday Haley and Gov. Sununu will hold a rally at the Rochester American Legion at 7 p.m.

DeSantis to appear in Hampton

Never Back Down announced Monday that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will hold an event at Wally's at Hampton Beach at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Trump to campaign in Portsmouth, Rochester before NH primary