Politics & Government

Trump Rallies On New Hampshire Primary Eve In Manchester: Watch

Thousands attended President Donald Trump's "Keep America Great" to boost turnout for the NH first-in-the-nation presidential primary.

Donald Trump in Nashua speaking to Patch in April 2015 before announcing his run for president.
Donald Trump in Nashua speaking to Patch in April 2015 before announcing his run for president. (Tony Schinella | Patch)

MANCHESTER, NH — The president and vice president held a rally in Manchester before New Hampshire's Republican faithful on the eve of the state's first-in-the-nation presidential primary. The "Keep America Great" rally began at 6 p.m. Monday. President Donald Trump's supporters have been camping outside of the SNHU Arena in Manchester since Sunday.

Vice President Mike Pence was in Portsmouth Monday at a "Cops for Trump" event, accepting the endorsement of the New England Police Benevolent Association. The organization was one of the first to endorse the president more than four years ago.

Watch the Manchester Rally below being live-streamed by Right Side Broadcasting.

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Kimberly Guilfoyle spoke and Donald Trump Jr. introduced Pence. He made an enthusiastic case for the president’s reelection, to cheers.

"The president is in the building,” Pence said to roars.

According to attendees, there were a lot of yard signs for various Democrats stuck into the snow along Granite Street but not the usual number of onlookers given the weather and street closures.

The president took the stage a few minutes past 7 p.m. to a rapturous ovation. He began by talking about the crowd and said he has more people inside and outside SNHU Arena than all the other candidates have at their own events.

SNHU Arena appears to be at capacity — with attendees packing the lower and upper sections, as well as the floor space between the press riser and the stage.

A lot of GOP lawmakers, campaign surrogates and staffers milled around the event signing hats and posing for selfies before the president came out.

Matt Mayberry, a Republican congressional candidate, welcomed the president back to the state.

"I am proud to welcome President Trump back to New Hampshire ahead of tomorrow's FITN Primary," he said. "Speaking to the tens of thousands of supporters who came out on this cold, rainy, winter day, you can feel the energy out there to get Donald Trump re-elected and win back New Hampshire for the Republicans this fall."

State Democrats, however, lashed out at Gov. Chris Sununu for welcoming Trump and Pence to the state.

"After Donald Trump has spent three years breaking promises to Granite Staters on the opioid crisis, affordable health care, and the economy, Sununu welcomed him to our state with open arms," said New Hampshire Democratic Party Spokesperson Michael Beyer. "While every Democrat running for president wants to raise the minimum wage, enable parents to stay home with their newborns, improve and fund our public schools, and make schools safer for our kids, Sununu has vetoed all of these common-sense policies and Donald Trump is making it harder every day for working families to get ahead. That's what this election is about - the difference between Democrats who are working for everyone, and Republicans like Trump and Sununu who are only working for special interests."

Manchester police reported road closures around the arena on Facebook as thousands of supporters trickle into the event.

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