Former US President Donald Trump warned on Saturday (28) that the upcoming election would be the last chance for salvation for the United States, as he returned to campaign rallies in New Hampshire and South Carolina, in the United States. hope to revive his candidacy for the White House.

Two and a half months after announcing his candidacy for the 2024 elections, the former American president left the golden corridors of his residence in Florida to make far from trivial visits.

New Hampshire and South Carolina will be the first states to host Republican primaries in early 2024. A victory there would give Trump a valuable and much-needed boost moving forward.

“The 2024 election is our only chance to save our country and we need a leader ready to do it from day one,” Trump said in Columbia, South Carolina, alongside American flags and some of his loyal political allies.

“We need a leader who is ready to take on the forces that are tearing our country apart,” the billionaire told a crowd of hundreds of supporters earlier in the small town of Salem.

– “Corrupt system” –

But after dominating the “Grand Old Party,” as the Republican Party is called for two years, Trump, 76, won’t necessarily be treading on favorable ground.

In New Hampshire, a border state with Canada, many local legislators accuse the former president of having ruined the chances of Republicans in the midterm legislative elections last November by supporting candidates considered radical.

“Personally, I think he’s lost a lot of his attractiveness and his aura,” local lawmaker Mike Bordes, who backed Trump in the 2020 election, told AFP during the inauguration. Republican presidential candidate.

Trump said again this Saturday (28) that he was robbed during the 2020 presidential election and did not misuse derogatory nicknames to refer to his opponents.

He also touted his record on public safety and immigration, and pledged to save the country “from destruction by a corrupt, radical and self-interested political system.”

“Today I am angrier and more determined than ever,” he said.

– reverse –

While he is so far the only Republican to announce his candidacy, several in this state are preparing to embark on the electoral scene.

Starting with former Governor Nikki Haley, who promised her supporters an announcement very soon.

Separately, several of Trump’s top donors have publicly announced that they will not support his candidacy and will back Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a rising star in the Republican Party, who has also not officially entered the race.

These are political setbacks for Trump, who is already the target of several legal investigations, which could be the main obstacle to his nomination.

“These are radical left prosecutors who are absolutely horrible people,” Trump said.

Despite these setbacks, his supporters warn against the rapid abandonment of his political viability. His downfall has been heralded a thousand times, but so far Trump has survived all the scandals.

The former president could also benefit from the upcoming cancellation of the suspension of his Facebook and Instagram accounts, finding in these networks a considerable sounding board.

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© Agence France-Presse