Trump lost New Hampshire by fewer than 3,000 votes in 2016. A few weeks after the election, Trump alleged that there was “serious voter fraud” in the state but did not provide any evidence. His campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, later conceded there was no proof to corroborate Trump’s claim.
The rally will kick off at 7 p.m. E.T. at the Southern New Hampshire University Arena in Manchester. It can be live streamed below courtesy of Fox 10 Phoenix.
Tim Murtaugh, the communications director for the Trump campaign, told ABC News ahead of the rally that “New Hampshire is absolutely part of our winning strategy.”
The president’s campaign team hopes that the state’s strong economy could help sway voters to support Trump in 2020. New Hampshire had the fourth-lowest unemployment rate in the United States in June. The state also has the top home ownership rate in the nation and ranks seventh in median household income.
“The Trump economy continues to soar with New Hampshire having one of the lowest unemployment rates in the entire nation and paychecks continuing to grow,” Michael Glassner, the chief operating officer of Trump’s campaign, said ahead of the rally.
But a recent survey by the University of New Hampshire found that just 42 percent of adult residents in the state approved of Trump — a 5 point dip in his net approval rating from a similar poll conducted in the spring. A majority of adults, 53 percent, said they disapproved of the president.
About half, 49 percent, of those polled said they approved of how Trump was handling the economy.
The approval of President Trump was largely split along party lines. Eighty-two percent of Republicans approved of him generally and 90 percent approved of his job handling the economy. Just 5 percent of Democrats approved of Trump’s overall job performance and only 9 percent approved of his handling of the economy. The survey polled over 500 randomly selected adults from July 29 to August 8.
According to CBS Boston, Trump supporters lined up as early as 36 hours before the event kicked off in order to see the president speak. One fan of the president told the local news outlet that attending a rally was on their “bucket list.”
“I mean I may never be able to be within a distance of a president again,” said Karen Desautels, a Western Massachusetts resident.
But Trump’s visit to the Granite State will also be marked by protest. Hudreds of New Hampshire Democrats say they plan to demonstrate outside the arena before the “Keep America Great” rally.
“We’re reminding folks that the values that President Trump is espousing, particularly the hateful rhetoric, are not beneficial for Granite Staters,” Rice Hawkins, the executive director of a Granite State Progress, told the Boston Herald. “People are concerned about the rhetoric he has been touting, particularly in response to the violence that’s been happening across the nation.”
