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Trump nabs more endorsements in final stretch before N.H. primary: Highlights

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., officially threw his support behind Trump at a rally in New Hampshire four days out from the state's critical primary.
Photo illustration of "I Voted" stickers on a TV screen, surrounded by red, white and blue stars, and a chyron reads ELECTION UPDATES.
NBC News

Here's the latest from the 2024 campaign trail

  • Live coverage on this blog has ended. Click here for the latest updates.
  • Former President Donald Trump, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are campaigning in New Hampshire with four days to go until the primary.
  • Sen. Tim Scott endorsed Trump this evening over Haley, his fellow South Carolina Republican. At the same rally, Trump said Haley probably would not be his VP pick.
  • After facing criticism over her lack of activity in the Granite State, Haley has six events on her schedule today. She needs a strong showing on Tuesday to keep her campaign hopes alive following a third-place Iowa finish.
  • A new tracking poll shows Trump continues to lead Haley and DeSantis by double digits in New Hampshire.
  • President Joe Biden's campaign is focusing on abortion rights ahead of the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling.

Why Trump is ahead in the New Hampshire polls

Mark Murray

Alexandra Marquezis based in Washington, D.C.

Mark Murray and Alexandra Marquez

Three high-quality New Hampshire polls now have been conducted entirely after the Iowa caucuses — and they tell a consistent story about the battle in the state’s GOP presidential primary.

It’s not just that all three of them — two tracking polls via the Boston Globe/NBC 10 Boston/Suffolk, as well as another poll from St. Anselm College — have Trump leading Haley by double digits, or that they all have Trump at 50% or higher.

It’s in the reason why Trump has that lead: Across the three polls, Haley is winning independents by 10 to 20 points. Trump, meanwhile, is winning registered Republicans by some 40 points.

Read the full story here.

Trump repeatedly bashes Sununu, who has said he would vote for the former president

Trump repeatedly bashed New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, while delivering a campaign speech in the Granite State tonight.

“I think your governor sucks,” Trump said at one point, describing Sununu as “terrible,” and “bad news.”

The former president hammered the point several more times during his remarks, saying, “You guys don’t need this guy," and suggesting that Sununu "thinks he’s hot stuff," when in fact "he's nothing."

Sununu has endorsed Haley and is joining her on the campaign trail in his state this week, but also told CNN this month that he would vote for Trump if the former president is the party's nominee.

DeSantis suggests TSA unnecessarily focuses on people who 'clearly' aren't a threat

While railing against what he called the ineffectiveness of the Transportation Security Administration, DeSantis suggested that some passengers "clearly" aren't a threat.

“Why do we have this big bureaucracy that’s not actually adding to security where you could do it at a much lighter footprint by just recognizing that some people clearly are not going to be threats?” DeSantis said tonight in Dover, New Hampshire.

He did not specify who would be deemed a potential threat and who wouldn't.

Trump jokes about canceling the election: 'Just say Trump wins'

During tonight's rally, Trump touted his poll numbers and joked about canceling the 2024 presidential election.

"Just cancel the election, just say Trump wins automatically," he said to cheers in Concord, New Hampshire.

"We have fun, we're laughing and kidding," Trump added, before jabbing at critics whom he said would call him a "fascist" for what he meant as a joke.

Trump confuses Haley with Pelosi when talking about Jan. 6 riot

Trump appeared to mistakenly refer to Haley instead of Rep. Nancy Pelosi when discussing the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

“Nikki Haley, you know they, do you know they destroyed all of the information, all of the evidence, everything, deleted and destroyed all of it. All of it because of lots of things like Nikki Haley is in charge of security. We offered her 10,000 people, soldiers, National Guard, whatever they want. They turned it down. They don’t want to talk about that. These are very dishonest people,” Trump said.

Trump has previously accused Pelosi of turning down 10,000 soldiers on Jan. 6, a claim that has been debunked.

NBC News has reached out to Trump's campaign for comment on tonight's remarks.

NBC News

With a new poll showing him with a 17-point lead, Trump ramped up his attacks on Haley. Meanwhile, Haley is trying to appeal to conservatives, and calling for the GOP to pick a younger nominee.

Trump says Haley probably won't be chosen as his VP

Trump addressed the prospect of selecting Haley as his running mate, arguing that she didn’t have “presidential timber” as the United Nations ambassador.

"When I say that, that probably means that she’s not going to be chosen as the vice president," Trump added.

Haley has previously struck down speculation of her serving as vice president, saying she doesn't "play for second."

D.C. board files disciplinary charges against pro-Trump lawyers

Disciplinary charges have been filed against three lawyers accused of aiding Trump's bid to overturn the 2020 election results.

A disciplinary counsel for attorneys who are members of the D.C. Bar alleged in filings publicly released Friday that Julia Haller, Brandon Johnson and Lawrence Joseph violated standards governing the practice of law in the nation's capital.

The counsel cited efforts by Haller and Johnson to file federal lawsuits making false claims about extensive election fraud in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin, adding that the lawyers “knew or should have known the lawsuits were frivolous,” among other claims.

The charges, which will be heard by the D.C. Bar’s hearing committee, were first reported by Politico.

In a separate filing, the counsel highlighted Joseph's involvement in a Texas lawsuit that asked a federal court to declare that former Vice President Mike Pence was exclusively authorized to determine which electoral votes should be counted.

Joseph made false statements about alternate electors in Arizona and “knew that the Arizona legislature had never qualified or authorized another slate of electors, but he never corrected his claims,” the counsel said.

Tim Scott formally endorses Trump

CONCORD, N.H. — South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott endorsed Trump for president during a rally here tonight, telling voters repeatedly and enthusiastically “we need Donald Trump,” four days ahead of the New Hampshire primary.

“That’s why I came to the very warm state of New Hampshire, to endorse the next president of these United States, President Donald Trump!" Scott said.

While introducing Scott, Trump touted their working relationship, highlighting Scott’s signature Opportunity Zones legislation and their efforts to increase federal funding to historically Black colleges and universities.

Trump also revealed that Scott personally “gave him a tremendous endorsement” two days ago, though a source familiar with Scott’s decision making said the endorsement decision was not finalized until this morning.

Ahead of Scott’s speech, Trump bragged Scott endorsing him over Haley, who appointed him to the Senate in 2012.“Remember, I’m running against somebody from his state, so it’s not that easy to do,” he said.

The Democratic National Committee ripped Scott after he endorsed Trump.

“Tim Scott centered his own campaign around banning abortion nationwide, and now he’s endorsing Donald Trump because he knows Trump is a MAGA extremist just like him who is hellbent on ripping away freedoms from women across America," DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd said in a statement tonight.

"Scott’s endorsement of Donald Trump is only the latest example of MAGA extremism exerting complete control over the Republican Party," Floyd added.

DeSantis: Low Iowa caucus turnout should be a 'warning sign' for November

GOFFSTOWN, N.H. — DeSantis said today that low turnout at the Iowa caucuses should be ringing alarm bells for Republicans as they attempt to win back the White House in November.

“It’s a warning sign for the party in November because the turnout was so abysmally low,” said DeSantis, who blamed low turnout on Iowans’ assumption that Trump would be the eventual Republican nominee.

“There’s terrible enthusiasm right now,” he added in remarks to reporters.

About 108,000 Iowans turned out on the night of the Iowa caucuses, down from a record-setting turnout in 2016 which saw about 187,000 people caucus in the Republican nominating contest.

DeSantis, who came in a distant second to Trump, acknowledged that sub-zero temperatures may have contributed to the downturn of caucusgoers but said Trump played a big role as well.

“I think it’s because you have some folks on our side who, who don’t want to do the Trump thing again, and they checked out,” said the Florida governor.

“There was a certain class of voters that I think were just like, ‘Alright, the party is doing this again,’ and they just kind of dropped out of the caucuses,” he added.

Top N.H. election official gives turnout predictions for primary

MANCHESTER, N.H. — New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan today released his voter turnout predictions for Tuesday's primary.

He estimated that there will be 322,000 Republican votes and 88,000 Democratic votes cast next week. There are approximately 873,000 voters in the state.

Scanlan said he makes his prediction by analyzing earlier turnout figures and trying to find similar elections.

“Beyond that, you have to try and factor in the variables that are at play that might be unique,” Scanlan told NBC News. “And what I can tell you is trying to predict the numbers for this election is difficult because there really has not been one quite like it.”

If Scanlan’s prediction is accurate, that would represent a lower turnout compared to the 2020 presidential primary, when 300,368 votes were cast in the competitive Democratic primary, and 158,791 ballots cast on the Republican side, where Trump had only token opposition.

“Whenever there is an incumbent president running for a second term, the turnout in that party’s primary is lower than normal. So that’s reflected in my estimate on the Democratic side,” Scanlan said.

Another factor he thinks about is “the big block of undeclared voters and how they’re going to split up in terms of participating in the primary.” As of Friday, approximately 26,000 people had requested absentee ballots and about two-thirds of those voters are casting ballots in the Republican primary.

Scanlan said he is confident the final results will be reported out on Tuesday, even with counting write-in ballots for Biden.

He told NBC News that there will be “extra help to count write-in votes for Biden."

"Since the voter can only vote for one candidate on a ballot that only has one race on it, the counting should go quickly,” Scanlan said.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott endorses Haley

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott today endorsed Haley, saying "the very last thing we need is four more years of Donald Trump."

“Our future is in jeopardy, and Americans deserve candidates with character and integrity, who respect the rule of law, the rights of all people, and the Constitution," the Republican governor said four days before neighboring New Hampshire holds its primary.

Scott said he viewed the GOP primary as "now a two-person race" and urged New Hampshire voters to cast their ballots for Haley on Tuesday.

“It is my sincere hope that the good people of New Hampshire will send a clear message," Scott said. "This is not the time for Republicans or independents to sit it out. It’s time to move our country forward.”

U.S. agency warns election officials to watch out for AI-cloned voice tools

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has warned election officials to be on guard for cloned voices impersonating co-workers.

In a general warning for election officials yesterday, CISA said that advancements in artificial intelligence’s ability to mimic real people could be used to disrupt the election process.

One potential abuse of the technology would be using voice cloning tools “to impersonate election office staff to gain access to sensitive election administration or security information,” the guide said.

NBC News

Days after the Iowa caucuses, all eyes are set on the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire on Tuesday as Haley and DeSantis work to maintain support with Trump still leading in the polls.

Louisiana lawmakers approve a new congressional map with a second majority-Black district

Louisiana state lawmakers approved a new congressional map on Friday, drawing a second majority-Black district to comply with a court order.

A federal court had ruled in 2022 that Louisiana’s Republican-controlled legislature had illegally disenfranchised Black voters in the state with their previous redistricting plan. After more than a year of appeals and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling forcing a new map in a similar case in Alabama, state lawmakers set out to redraw the Louisiana map this week.

The state is nearly a third Black, but five of the state’s congressional districts are a majority white. Louisiana’s 2nd District, which is majority Black, is currently represented by Rep. Troy Carter, a Democrat.

The new map will lower the Black voting-age population in Carter’s district to 51 percent, while drawing a new 6th District as a narrow strip through the center of the state, from Shreveport to Baton Rouge. That district will have a Black voting-age population of 53 percent.

Read the full story here.

Haley says vice presidential bid is 'off the table'

In a conversation with diners in New Hampshire on Friday, Haley ruled out becoming a vice presidential candidate.

"I’ve said from the very beginning: I don’t play for second. I don’t want to be anybody’s vice president. That is off the table," Haley said in remarks first reported by Politico.

Haley's campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas confirmed to NBC News that Haley made the remarks.

Haley’s statement is her most definitive answer on the topic. On the campaign trail, Haley has repeatedly been asked if she would consider becoming a vice presidential candidate and often responds that she “doesn’t play for second.”

Republicans close ranks around Trump as he looks to lock up his third nomination

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Republicans are quickly falling in line behind Trump’s bid for a return to the White House, signaling a growing consensus that his nomination is all but inevitable.

The most glaring example: Tim Scott will become the third former Trump rival to back his campaign in a week, joining North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Vivek Ramaswamy, when he gives his endorsement at a Friday rally here just four days before the New Hampshire primary.

But the shifting ground can also be observed in the ranks of lawmakers and donors, who are scrambling to put themselves on Trump’s good side before it’s too late.

“There will be a lot of people on planes to Mar-a-Lago over the next couple of weeks,” one former Trump campaign official who is in close contact with donors and elected officials said, anticipating visits planned to Trump’s Palm Beach, Fla., home. “A lot of folks trying to make sure they kiss the ring in the appropriate timeframe.”

Read the full story here.

Haley reacts to Scott's endorsement of Trump: 'The fellas are gonna do what the fellas are gonna do'

Sarah Dean, Greg Hyatt and Ali Vitali

Nikki Haley — who is working to frame the 2024 GOP presidential primary as a two-person race with Donald Trump — reacted to the news that fellow South Carolina native Sen. Tim Scott will endorse Trump at a rally tonight.

"Interesting that Trump’s lining up with all the Washington insiders when he claimed he wanted to drain the swamp," Haley said in a statement to NBC News. "But the fellas are gonna do what the fellas are gonna do."

Haley appointed Scott to the U.S. Senate in 2012 and the two have spoken over the phone since Scott dropped out of the presidential primary in November, according to a source familiar with these calls.

In newly released deposition video, Trump said he saved the world from 'nuclear holocaust'

Adam Reiss

Adam Reiss and Dareh Gregorian

Trump claimed he saved the planet from a “nuclear holocaust,” bragged about his finances and said he became president “because of the brand” in a newly released video of his deposition in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud suit against him and his company.

“I was very busy ... I considered this the most important job in the world, saving millions of lives. I think you would have nuclear holocaust if I didn’t deal with North Korea. I think you would have a nuclear war if I weren’t elected. And I think you might have a nuclear war now, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said during the April 13, 2023, deposition after he was asked if he was too busy to run his company while he was in the White House.

Read the full story here

Tim Scott set to endorse Trump

Ali Vitali

Sen. Tim Scott is set to endorse former President Donald Trump at a rally in New Hampshire on Friday night, according to a source familiar with the plans.

Scott will be the latest in a string of former Republican presidential rivals to support Trump, following Vivek Ramaswamy’s decision Monday to drop out of the 2024 race and back Trump after the Iowa caucuses. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also recently gave Trump his support.

But Scott, a South Carolina senator, is a bigger prize ahead of his home-state primary on Feb. 24. He is endorsing Trump over former Gov. Nikki Haley, who appointed him to his Senate seat in 2012 before Scott then won re-election to the seat multiple times in his own right.

Read the full story here.

Alexandra Marquezis based in Washington, D.C.

Once Scott makes his endorsement official, Trump will have the support of 26 out of 49 Senate Republicans.

The former president also secured endorsements from a majority of the House Republican conference on Thursday after Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., became the 114th member to back him.

Scott's forthcoming move will also mean Trump has endorsements from both South Carolina GOP senators. Sen. Lindsey Graham endorsed Trump before Haley jumped in the race, along with three GOP House members from the state and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.

Haley’s only congressional endorsement is from Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C.

And it’s a similar situation for DeSantis — Trump has endorsements from the majority of the Florida GOP congressional delegation.

GOP secretaries of state warn Supreme Court of 'tit-for-tat' ballot disqualification

Eleven Republican secretaries of state filed an amicus brief on Thursday in Trump’s Supreme Court case against Colorado over his ballot disqualification, warning the court of partisan retribution if the former president is kept off the ballot.

The group wrote that “allowing elected Secretaries of State to make time-sensitive and unreviewable decisions about ballot qualification will lead to partisan abuse. Tit-for-tat disqualification decisions, if abused by partisan actors, sets a dangerous precedent for a deeply-divided Nation.”

The brief echoes remarks made earlier this month by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who wrote on X that Biden would be kept from the ballot in other states if Colorado and Maine were allowed to disqualify former Trump from the ballot.

Other signatories of the brief include Alabama's Wes Allen, Indiana's Diego Morales, and Ohio's Frank LaRose.

Haley backer Larry Hogan: 'She’s still got some ground to make up'

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan agrees with Haley, who said Thursday night during a CNN town hall forum that her goal was to do better in next week’s New Hampshire primary “than we did in Iowa.”

But Hogan, a centrist Republican who endorsed Haley for president in part because he views her as “the strongest possible nominee for November,” has somewhat higher expectations.

“Obviously she has to do better than she did in Iowa,” Hogan told NBC News several hours before Haley’s town hall. “She’s still got some ground to make up.”

Hogan still believes Haley can beat Trump in New Hampshire, though polls this week have shown the former president with a lead there. 

“Things happen in New Hampshire,” Hogan said. “People pull out surprises and it changes the momentum of the race. It’s possible she can pull off an upset. … If she can pull off a win it would be a game-changer” and perhaps set Haley up for a win in her home state of South Carolina, where Trump also leads.

But Hogan also believes Haley can live to fight another day if she keeps it close.

“I don’t really have a number for it,” Hogan replied when asked what would qualify as strong enough. “A strong second-place showing keeps her in the race and perhaps shows it’s [down to] her and Trump — and not DeSantis.”

From there, Haley’s campaign “really hinges on South Carolina,” Hogan said, noting that if he were running and lost Maryland, he wouldn’t have much rationale for continuing. (On Tuesday, Hogan said Trump was, at that moment, positioned to win South Carolina.)

Hogan, who until recently had a leadership role with No Labels, the group interested in pushing a bipartisan, third-party presidential ticket in 2024, represents a key GOP constituency for Haley. The final NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll before this week’s Iowa caucuses found that half of Haley’s support was from independents (39%) or Democrats (11%). 

This makes Haley unique among the GOP field, but it also raises questions about how she would remain competitive in contests without an unusually large number of crossover voters. Such voters, Hogan acknowledged, will be crucial to any winning coalition Haley hopes to cobble together. 

Hogan, whose distaste for Trump has been evident for years, also acknowledged that independent-minded, anti-Trump Republicans like him could be left without a political home if Haley falls short of denying the former president the nomination. 

“That’s the million-dollar question that I’m not sure I have the answer to,” Hogan said. “A lot of people are trying to figure that out. It’s a long ways to figuring out who the nominee will be and a long ways until November.”

“If we don’t get it corrected this year, I think we are going to get back to that traditional Republican Party,” he added. “It just might take some time.”

Phillips tempers New Hampshire primary expectations

SALEM, N.H. — Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., said he intends to stay in the Democratic nomination fight through to the convention, even as he tempers expectations about how he will fare in New Hampshire on Tuesday.

“I don’t think I’m going to win a lot of states — that would be almost impossible, especially against the Democratic machine,” he said in an interview after an early morning campaign stop here.

"But I’m going to demonstrate to the country, A, there’s a choice and, B, if we have the data come next year this July that shows me ahead of Donald Trump and Joe Biden continuing to be behind, at least let’s give Democrats a choice to go with someone who could win versus someone destined to lose to the most dangerous man in history,” Phillips continued.

Phillips noted that there was not an active write-in campaign for Biden when he got into the race in October, and that finishing in the primary on Tuesday in the 20% range “would be extraordinary.”

“Of course, 42% would be great,” he said, referring to Eugene McCarthy’s vote share in the 1968 Democratic primary. President Lyndon Johnson’s sub-50% showing as a write-in candidate helped precipitate his decision not to seek a second full term weeks later.

“But this is the beginning. Ten weeks in, most of the country does not know me yet,” Phillips said. “And to go from zero to in the 20s will be extraordinary in the state of New Hampshire, and that’ll be the beginning.”

First to NBC News: Biden campaign memo warns 2024 will determine the 'fate of women's reproductive rights'

Biden’s campaign is warning that this year’s election will determine the “fate of women’s reproductive rights” ahead of the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022. 

“When Americans go to the polls on Election Day this November, they will go knowing that the fate of every American woman’s freedom to make her own health care decisions is on the line,” campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez wrote in a memo first shared with NBC News. 

The Biden campaign is pledging to spend the next 10 months tying abortion bans to Trump’s rhetoric on the issue and ownership of the fall of Roe, “reminding voters exactly what is at stake for reproductive freedom in 2024.” 

“They will also know that the horrific alternative — the chaos, confusion, and uncertainty women whose rights have been ripped away are experiencing right now — falls squarely at the feet of Donald J. Trump,” Chavez Rodriguez said.

The memo notes that since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe, “draconian and dangerous bans have been proposed, passed, and enacted by MAGA Republicans across the country,” which means that more than 1 in 3 women of reproductive age in America now live under an abortion ban. 

Most state bans currently in effect do not have exceptions for rape or incest and some doctors can be charged with a felony or even face life in prison if they provide the procedure.

On the campaign trail, Trump often takes credit for the seismic change in abortion access because of his role in appointing three conservative Supreme Court justices. 

“It stands in stark contrast with President Biden and Vice President Harris, who believe that the right to choose is fundamental, that medical decisions should be between a woman and her doctor, and have taken aggressive executive action to protect access to reproductive health care and safeguard patient privacy amid ongoing Republican attacks,” Chavez Rodriguez wrote. 

The president, first lady, vice president and second gentleman will headline their first joint rally of the cycle on Tuesday in northern Virginia to highlight the importance of abortion access, according to the campaign. 

The Biden administration has urged Congress to restore the protections of Roe but those attempts have fallen short on Capitol Hill, even when Democrats controlled the House and Senate. 

But Democrats have been encouraged overall by what they’ve seen at the ballot box, since abortion proved to be a major issue for voters in the 2022 midterms. 

After the Dobbs decision, abortion has appeared on the ballot seven times, with measures in Kansas, Michigan, Kentucky, California, Vermont, Montana and Ohio. In every instance, in traditionally “red” and “blue” states, the memo notes, people “resoundingly voted to protect their rights.” 

Abortion will again be on the ballot in November in several key battleground states.

“The issue of protecting reproductive freedoms isn’t just wildly popular with voters — it’s translating into electoral success. When candidates run on defending reproductive freedom, they win elections,” Chavez Rodriguez said.

Democratic governors highlight strength of abortion rights for 2024 campaigns

Alexandra Marquezis based in Washington, D.C.

Democratic Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Tim Walz of Minnesota on Friday stressed the importance of President Joe Biden's campaign focusing on abortion rights this year.

“There have been countless, horrifying stories of women being denied lifesaving care, and doctors under the threat of prosecution for just doing their jobs. And we know that if Donald Trump returns to the White House, things will only get worse,” Whitmer told reporters on a press call hosted by the Democratic Governors Association.

“Democrats like Joe Biden are protecting and expanding reproductive freedom where the other guys want to continue to push for a national ban and rip these rights away from all of us,” she added.

Walz, the chair of the DGA, said that although legislating abortion is now relegated to the states, federal candidates like Biden can still campaign on abortion rights.

“I don’t think you have to be a statewide candidate to stand on this issue of freedom,” he said.

“I’m not suggesting that the presidential campaign, you know, take this in a robust way in all 50 states, but I do think that they should be embracing this and contrasting this to what the alternatives are in this upcoming election,” Whitmer added.

“This is a stark difference. You know, there are many differences between the former president and President Biden, without question, but I think this is one that really we’ve seen has animated people and driven them out to the polls. And so I think it can be persuasive,” she continued. 

The press call highlighted the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade. Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will also commemorate the anniversary on Tuesday, with a campaign rally in northern Virginia.  

It’s do-or-die time for Haley

+2

Mark Murray

Alexandra Marquezis based in Washington, D.C.

Haley and her allies are already trying to lower expectations for the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday. 

“A strong second is going to be great, that’s wonderful,” said New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who has endorsed Haley. 

Haley herself told CNN Thursday night that her personal goal “is to make sure we do better than we did in Iowa” — where she finished third behind Trump and DeSantis. 

Let’s be real, however: If Haley can’t beat Trump in New Hampshire — with all of its famed independent voters — she isn’t going to beat Trump anywhere. 

(And even if she tops him in the Granite State, her coalition isn’t built to beat Trump in a delegate race, but that’s a story for another day.)

Second place isn’t going to cut it for Haley if the goal is to win the GOP presidential nomination. 

As the immortal Ricky Bobby put it in “Talladega Nights,” per our colleague Chuck Todd, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” 

Especially if the objective is to defeat your party’s ex-president for the 2024 presidential nomination.

White House cancels $5B in student debt for 74k borrowers

In a new wave of student loan forgiveness, the Biden administration is canceling $5 billion in debt for 74,000 borrowers, many of whom worked in public sector jobs for more than a decade.

President Joe Biden said that 44,000 of Friday’s approved borrowers were having their education debt wiped clean after 10 years of public service, and that those borrowers included teachers, nurses and firefighters. Nearly 30,000 borrowers have worked toward repayment for at least 20 years but “never got the relief they earned through income-driven repayment plans,” Biden said in a statement.

It’s the latest round of loan forgiveness efforts after the Supreme Court struck down the White House’s student loan debt relief plan last year. Since the ruling, the White House has launched a series of smaller relief programs.

“My Administration is able to deliver relief to these borrowers — and millions more — because of fixes we made to broken student loan programs that were preventing borrowers from getting relief they were entitled to under the law,” Biden said on Friday.

The new cancellations bring the total number of people who have had debt canceled under the Biden administration to 3.7 million, the White House said.

Read the full story here.

N.H. tracking poll shows Trump holding double-digit lead

Mark Murray

Trump continues to hold a double-digit lead in New Hampshire, according to the latest Suffolk University/NBC10 Boston/Boston Globe tracking poll.

The survey showed Trump at 52%, followed by Haley with 35% and DeSantis with 6%.

The poll of 500 likely GOP primary voters was conducted Jan. 17-18 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4% percentage points.

Where the 2024 candidates are today

Adam Wollneris a deputy politics editor

Haley is barnstorming New Hampshire as she looks to close the gap with Trump ahead of Tuesday's primary. She has six events scheduled throughout the day after facing criticism from some Republicans about her lack of activity down the final stretch.

DeSantis is back in New Hampshire with three events scheduled.

Trump is set to hold a rally this evening on Concord. Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, will hold an event on behalf of Trump's campaign this afternoon.

Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., has two events on his schedule in New Hampshire today.