Former President Donald Trump stomped a packed audience filled with American veterans at a Veteran’s Day appearance in New Hampshire.
CLAREMONT, N.H.—At a packed New Hampshire rally earlier today, former U.S. president and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump earned new key endorsements as his supporters talked about feeling abandoned by the national Republican party leadership.
Among them was Rayla Campbell, the first black woman to win a Republican primary in Massachusetts for Secretary of State. She ultimately lost her bid to a Democratic incumbent and said she got “zero” support from national Republican leaders for her campaign.
“One hundred percent I feel ignored,” Mrs. Campbell told The Epoch Times, who was at the rally to represent Black Voices For Trump. “They aren’t interested in grassroots candidates or rising candidates.”
The topic was a spinoff of the controversial comments made by candidate Vivek Ramaswamy during the GOP debate earlier this week, accusing RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel of failing the party and calling for her resignation.
Bobby McCarthy, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was among the droves of active and former military service members in attendance at the Veteran’s Day event, told The Epoch Times that while he didn’t think it was fair to blame one person, “like any captain, she has to go down with the ship.”
“I do think it’s time for her to step aside for a new leader,” he said.
‘America First’
Earlier in the morning at The Barn—a popular eatery in Claremont, a blue collarish-town that sits on the New Hampshire and Vermont border—U.S. veterans and Trump supporters like Ron Barbour, who served 12 years in the U.S. Army, were also eager to talk about the subject.
“The question is, is it a blessing or a disguise?” he asked, pointing to President Trump’s own recent comment, “Anytime I get indicted, I go up in the polls.”
John Trapp, another U.S. Army veteran dining at The Barn, told The Epoch Times that he believes President Trump’s popularity is having “an outing” effect on the national party’s lack of support for traditional conservatives.
In zeroing in on Mrs. McDaniel’s post-debate outburst against Mr. Ramaswamy for his comments, Mr. Trapp said, “The truth hurts.”
By Alice Giordano
