Trump’s victory in New Hampshire solidifies his conquest of the GOP

In the days after the attack on the US Capitol, former president Donald Trump seemed on the verge of becoming a politician in exile.

Many Republicans directly blamed him, including Kevin McCarthy, who said “the president bears responsibility” for the attack. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell excoriated Mr Trump by saying that “people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president”.

Mr Trump’s decision to spread the lie that Democrats stole the election from him to whip his supporters into such a frenzy that they breached the US Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election offered Republicans — particularly ones who never particularly liked Mr Trump — the opportunity to get off the wagon. It gave them the chance to remove the virus of Trumpism, tell their voters it would not be allowed in the party, and keep the focus on weakening Joe Biden.

But the ex-president’s dominant win in the New Hampshire primary on 23 January, a week after a decisive win in Iowa, makes crystal clear what has been obvious all along – Donald Trump is going to be the 2024 Republican nominee. Despite more than 90 felony charges in four separate jurisdictions, Mr Trump retains an iron grip on the Republican Party. New Hampshire was Nikki Haley’s best shot at taking on Mr Trump, but the results were decisive and the Associated Press called the race for Mr Trump shortly after polls closed at 8pm.

Furthermore, Mr Trump has purged many of his critics from within the GOP. House Republicans booted Liz Cheney, who refused to remain silent about Mr Trump, in exchange for the formerly moderate Rep Elise Stefanik to be the chairwoman of the party conference.

Sim