President Joe Biden took aim at former President Donald Trump in his first statement after securing his first win of the 2024 cycle in the unsanctioned first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire.
Biden also thanked voters in New Hampshire for delivering him the historic win, in which the incumbent president became the first write-in candidate in U.S. history to win a presidential primary after the Democratic National Committee deprioritized New Hampshire on its nominating contest calendar in favor of South Carolina after pressure from Biden.
“It is now clear that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee. And my message to the country is the stakes could not be higher. Our democracy, our personal freedoms, from the right to choose to the right to vote, our economy, which has seen the strongest recovery in the world since COVID — all are at stake,” Biden said.
He added, “I want to thank all those who wrote my name in this evening in New Hampshire. It was a historic demonstration of commitment to our democratic process. And I want to say to all those independents and Republicans who share our commitment to core values of our nation — our democracy, our personal freedoms, an economy that gives everyone a fair shot — to join us as Americans.”
In a statement shortly after the primary races were called, however, Biden’s campaign failed to mention his projected 2024 win in New Hampshire, instead opting to lambaste Trump and underscore Biden’s record.
Biden’s statement and his campaign both ignored former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley too as the former South Carolina governor contends she would outperform the incumbent president in a hypothetical general election matchup.
“Tonight’s results confirm Donald Trump has all but locked up the GOP nomination, and the election denying, anti-freedom MAGA movement has completed its takeover of the Republican Party,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez wrote Tuesday.
Chavez Rodriguez went on to condemn Trump’s agenda, saying it is the “same extreme agenda that has cost Republicans election after election: promising to undermine American democracy, reward the wealthy on the backs of the middle class, and ban abortion nationwide.”
“Joe Biden sees things differently,” Chavez Rodriguez continued. “He’s fighting to grow our economy for the middle class, strengthen our democracy, and protect the rights of every single American.”
While Biden’s campaign opted to ignore his reelection bid, Democratic leaders in New Hampshire behind the write-in effort celebrated Biden’s achievement, with Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy saying the state “sent a message loud and clear that New Hampshire strongly stands behind Joe Biden and the progress he is making for our country.”
“With all eyes on our first-in-the-nation primary, the country — and the entire world — saw what a group of determined Granite Staters can do when our democracy is at stake,” said House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm. “This wasn’t easy. But no matter what was thrown our way, this mighty team of volunteers rallied, and we mobilized to deliver an overwhelming win for President Joe Biden in New Hampshire — with almost twice as many Democrats voting in the primary compared to 2012. Tonight, we celebrate. But then, tomorrow, we get up and we fight on because this is far from over, and the stakes could not be higher in this general election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.”
In 2020, Biden finished fourth in Iowa and fifth in New Hampshire before winning South Carolina, his first victory in three campaigns, prompting him to push the DNC to shake up the nominating calendar. Four years later, New Hampshire, undeterred because of state law, proceeded with a delegate-less Democratic primary.
New Hampshire Democrats are working to restore their first-in-the-nation status in 2028.
Earlier Tuesday, the Biden campaign confirmed it was changing its leadership team to include top White House aides, making deputy chief of staff Jennifer O’Malley Dillon and senior adviser Mike Donilon his bid’s chairwoman and chief strategist, respectively. Chavez Rodriguez is expected to remain on as manager.
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“Mike and Jen were essential members of the senior team that helped President Biden and Vice President Harris earn the most votes in American history in 2020, and we’re thrilled to have their leadership and strategic prowess focused full time on sending them back to the White House for four more years,” Chavez Rodriguez said.
Biden’s major primary challengers are Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and author Marianne Williamson.
