House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is calling for an end to the race for the Republican presidential nomination and for the party to unify around former President Donald Trump after his win in the New Hampshire primary.
“Congratulations to President Trump on his decisive victory tonight in America’s first-in-the-nation primary!” Johnson stated in a release shared via email after the race was called. “Our House Republican leaders and a majority of Republican Senators support his reelection, and Republican voters in Iowa and New Hampshire have strongly backed him at the polls.”
“It’s now past time for the Republican Party to unite around President Trump so we can focus on ending the disastrous Biden presidency and growing our majority in Congress,” the Speaker, who endorsed Trump in November, added.
His statement was released moments before former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), the 45th president’s lone remaining opponent, affirmed she would be marching forward with her candidacy while addressing supporters after her loss.
#BREAKING: Nikki Haley says she is not dropping out of the 2024 race after New Hampshire loss
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) January 24, 2024
"New Hampshire is first in the nation, it is not last in the nation [...] There are dozens of states left to go. And the next one is my sweet state of South Carolina." pic.twitter.com/AEzo8qApva
“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,” she said with a smile after her loss. Notably, Nevada will have a say before South Carolina does, something Trump was quick to point out on Truth Social.
“SHE JUST LOST NEVADA, WHICH IS UP NEXT!” he wrote.
The Associated Press called the race just as polls closed at 8:00 p.m., a bad sign for Haley. Trump was leading by roughly ten points soon after the time of the call, but the final margin of victory remains to be seen.
Many of Trump’s former competitors in the Republican nomination race, including Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, conservative radio host Larry Elder, and businessman Perry Johnson have all come out in support of him after leaving the race.
Notably, DeSantis and Ramaswamy suspended their campaigns and endorsed Trump after his historic win in the Iowa Caucuses.
