Congressional Republicans rush to crown Trump after New Hampshire victory
Published Date: 1/24/2024
Source: axios.com

Top House and Senate Republicans called to end the Republican presidential primaries following former President Trump's victory in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday.

Why it matters: It ups the GOP establishment pressure on former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley to drop out of the race.


Driving the news: "It's now past time for the Republican Party to unite around President Trump," House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in a statement.

  • House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) released a statement calling for Haley to "suspend her failing campaign and unite behind President Trump."
  • Stefanik's counterpart in the Senate, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), echoed her in a post on X: "Donald J. Trump is our presumptive nominee for President of the United States."
  • The campaign chiefs for both House and Senate Republicans also called for the party to coalesce around Trump.

Zoom in: Trump also picked up several new endorsements from GOP lawmakers on Tuesday night.

  • "I have seen enough," Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who had been on the sidelines, said on X. "To beat Biden, Republicans need to unite around a single candidate, and it's clear that President Trump is Republican voters' choice."
  • Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), who was also on the fence, said it is "time to unite around President Donald Trump."
  • Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), who backed North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum's now-suspended campaign, said on X: "It's time for Republicans to come together and support President Donald Trump. ... Candidates have taken their shots at President Trump but they have not landed."
  • Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), who had backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, said in a statement: "I am calling on my fellow conservatives ... to join me in supporting Donald Trump for President."

The other side: "Now, you've all heard the chatter among the political class," Haley told supporters in a speech on Tuesday night. "They're falling all over themselves saying this race is over."

  • Haley declared she will not drop out: "This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go, and the next one is my sweet state of South Carolina."

Go deeper: Nikki Haley's got a Trump problem in South Carolina