Ex-GOP presidential candidates to join Trump at NH rally

Scott and Burgum withdrew ahead of the Iowa Caucus while Ramaswamy did so after placing fourth in that contest last week.

By Ben Whedon

Published: January 22, 2024 5:48pm

A trio of former President Donald Trump's ex-rivals for the Republican presidential nomination will appear alongside him at a Monday night rally in New Hampshire ahead the Tuesday primary in the Granite State.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, all of whom have dropped out and endorsed Trump, plan to appear as part of a "show of force" and demonstration of party unity, Fox News reported. The Trump campaign later confirmed the event in an email release.

Scott and Burgum withdrew ahead of the Iowa Caucus while Ramaswamy did so after placing fourth in that contest last week. Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out and endorsed Trump over the weekend, but did not appear among the planned attendees for the Monday rally.

With their withdrawal, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley remains the only Trump challenger of any standing and some recent polls have suggested she may be competitive in New Hampshire, though she currently trails by roughly 30% in her home state of South Carolina.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.