(CN) – Donald Trump wants the Granite State. On Thursday he told nearly 12,000 attendees at Southern New Hampshire University that since he fulfilled his campaign promise to “make America great again,” he now intends to “Keep America Great.”
Trump lost New Hampshire by 2,732 votes to Hilary Clinton in 2016. With its primary elections slated for Feb. 11, 2020, the northeastern swing state’s elections are being watched like “the Real World.”
While two congressional districts went to Democrats in 2016, 53% of the New Hampshire electorate also elected Republican Gov. Christopher Sununu in 2018.
Trump reminded New Englanders that he is building a wall along the country’s southern border, touting his “America first” agenda.
"Globalism enriches foreign countries at our expense,” Trump said. “I'm the President of the United States, I'm not the president of the world. As long as I am president, America will never bow to a foreign nation like we have for so many years."
Democrats have criticized the Trump administration for being anti-diplomatic and pulling the U.S from major treaties, including the Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement, the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Iranian Nuclear Deal. But Trump is far from apologizing.
"After years and years of building up other countries, we are finally building up our country, standing up for our country, our workers, and standing up for our dignity," Trump said. “The forgotten men and women of America will never, ever be forgotten again.”
By Trump’s tally, "Democrats are now the party of high taxes, high crime, open borders, late term abortion and socialism. The Republican Party is the party of freedom. We are the party of the American worker, the American family, the American Dream."
Trump further flipped the mission of universal health care which has become a Democratic cornerstone as, “a massive government takeover of health care that would raid Medicare and destroy the private health insurance plans of millions of American families that they love.”
In the 992 days he has been in office, Trump has held more than 70 rallies, including nine for his official 2020 campaign.
"Is there anything better than a Donald Trump Rally?" he asked the lively crowd. "How about a sleepy Joe Biden rally?”
Like a “Survivor” recap, the former-reality TV star listed off a few of the top Democratic candidates vying for their party’s nomination.
"I sort of hope it's [Biden]. I don't mind any of them. You've got Pocahontas' rising, you've got Kabala—Kamala is falling. You've got Beto, Beto is like gone, but we'll see what happens,” Trump said. “I think Sleepy Joe may be able to limp across the finish line."
Morning Consult's Tuesday poll estimated former-Vice President Joe Biden is leading primary polls with 33% of support from Democrats, followed by progressives Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at 20% and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 14%.
Citing an August poll from Gravis Marketing, FiveThirtyEight reported Sanders leading Trump by 10 points in New Hampshire. Sixty percent of New Hampshire Democrats voted for Sanders in the 2016 primary, though Clinton won the national party’s nomination.
According to an Aug. 15 Gallup Poll, an estimated 42% of Americans approve of Donald Trump. Of 3,038 adults polled in July, Republicans tended to overestimate the presidential approval rating as 53%. While Democrats underestimated Trump’s approval rating as down around 39%, the two parties average out to a conscientious 46%.
Trump implied he would endorse his former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski for New Hampshire senator against two-term incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, but clarified he couldn’t support Lewandowski until he officially announced a run.
"He was the first one that talked about us possibly winning the whole big ball game,” Trump said. “And he's tough, and he's smart and I'm hearing he's thinking about running for the Senate from New Hampshire. I don’t know. I think he'd be tough to beat."
According to the Federal Elections Commission, principal campaign committee Donald J. Trump for President Inc. has raised $56.8 million since January.
As if acknowledging the elephant in the room—the vocal critics within his own party—the president ended his rally by blaring a recording of the Rolling Stones 1969 song "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
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