Saturday is a big day for Trump’s presidential primary campaign. Noticeably quiet up until now, Trump has put his political ambition into snarky posts and delivering political opinions on Truth Social. It looks like he is ready to put the wheels of his campaign in motion.

Trump will be in two states on Saturday – New Hampshire and South Carolina. The importance of both states cannot be overlooked. Both are early primary states and wins in one if not both are essential for a presidential primary campaign to continue. Trump’s campaign launch was less than impressive and certainly didn’t inspire much of anything from the supporters he put into a ballroom in Mar-a-Lago to applaud his “surprise” announcement. Perhaps Saturday’s events will serve as a reset.

Trump will be the keynote speaker for the New Hampshire GOP state committee meeting on Saturday.

“We are excited to welcome President Trump back to the Granite State to be the keynote speaker at our 2023 Annual Meeting,” said outgoing GOP state party chairman Stephen Stepanek. “President Trump has long been a strong defender of New Hampshire’s First in the Nation Primary Status and we are excited that he will join us to deliver remarks to our Members.”

Republicans in New Hampshire are the same as Republicans across the country – they are tired of losing. Trump will have to appeal to all factions of the Republican Party to win the primary race, especially if Florida Governor Ron DeSantis enters the race. Many Republicans point to the fact that Trump leads in polls pitting him against DeSantis but other Republicans point to his poor candidate choices in the midterm elections. Yes, he endorsed many winners in House elections but in some big races that were crucial for Republicans to win, like Senate and gubernatorial races, Trump’s candidates lost. The red wave we were promised never materialized across the country, except in Florida and upstate New York, because independent voters and moderates were turned off by Trump’s picks. Voters are ready to move on.

Can Trump unite Republican voters and enough independents to win the GOP primary? What about the presidency? Trump has to expand his base of support. He can’t rely on running as though it is 2015.

“He will play the greatest hits and the crowd will clap and nod, but what’s waiting for Donald Trump in New Hampshire is a Republican Party that’s tired of losing,” one veteran GOP strategist told NHJournal. “And more grassroots activists in the room than the Trump campaign wants to believe, think it’s because of him.”

And former GOP comms pro Alicia Preston Xanthopolous responded to the news of Trump’s visit on Twitter. “So, we didn’t learn anything from November? Brilliant.”

Trump is certain to get an enthusiastic welcome from at least one person: His former state co-chair Lou Gargiulo, who will be attending as a candidate for state party chairman.

“I look forward to welcoming President Trump back to New Hampshire on Saturday and hearing his remarks at the annual meeting,” Gargiulo told NHJournal. “I am proud to have served on both of President Trump’s campaigns, starting in 2016 as New Hampshire delivered President Trump his first primary victory on his way to the White House.”

As Trump prepares to travel to New Hampshire, a group of New Hampshire Republicans has formed a group in support of Ron DeSantis. DeSantis hasn’t announced his decision to run or not, but that’s not stopping his supporters from organizing. The main takeaway from their mission is that it’s not personal against Trump. They appreciate his work as president and voted for him. However, they are ready for change. Trump’s track record in the midterms brought some big disappointments and the losing has to stop.

“I worked as hard as anyone to help get President Trump elected in 2016 and 2020. He was a great President and I so wish we had him now instead of Biden,” said longtime GOP activist and state party official Kate Day of Spofford, N.H.” But if we apply President Trump’s philosophy of hiring the best person to do the job, that means you evaluate the market, the consumer, and the performance of a potential employee or candidate.

“Republicans I talk to are grateful to President Trump but believe another strong conservative with a proven track record is the way to go. For me, that is Governor DeSantis,” Day added.

She isn’t alone. A group of Americans hoping DeSantis will carry the GOP banner in 2024 are supporting the “Ron to the Rescue” effort, a Super PAC overseen by a political consulting firm that’s already produced one campaign ad and is about to ramp up its marketing efforts.

Their motto: “DeSantis is DeFuture.”

In other words, the group isn’t The Lincoln Project. They aren’t Trump-deranged and so hellbent to destroy Trump’s chances at holding elected office that they would throw in with Democrats over him. These NH Republicans know it’s time for a change, a fresh face, and new blood at the top of the ticket.

For the record, I agree. I thought Trump was a great president with his policies and handling of the economy until the pandemic struck, which he had no control over. He and McConnell worked together to get judicial nominees pushed through the Senate and he put three conservatives on the Supreme Court. It doesn’t get much better than that for Republicans. It’s time for a change, though. Trump is 76 years old. Biden is 80. Trump is sharper than Biden (who isn’t?) but even he is showing signs of his age lately. Put me firmly in the DeSantis camp at this point.

After his appearance in New Hampshire, Trump goes to South Carolina to roll out his state leadership team. Senator Lindsey Graham and Governor Henry McMaster will join Trump at the State House in Columbia. Trump won the GOP primary in 2015 in South Carolina.

Just over a year out from the Republican Party’s first presidential nominating contest, Donald Trump remains the front-runner in a hypothetical crowded field, backed by 49% of potential Republican primary voters. https://t.co/4CBfh5gVos pic.twitter.com/gq2iluKKGu

— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) January 25, 2023