Trump and Haley rally after DeSantis exits race before New Hampshire primary: Highlights

MANCHESTER, N.H. — DeSantis supporters, former campaign staffers and members of the public gathered at The Farm Bar and Grille in Manchester — the site of this afternoon’s canceled DeSantis campaign event — to commemorate the end of his candidacy.

While the celebration was closed to the media, members of the public who RSVPed were invited to share drinks and light fare with those who worked to advance DeSantis’ efforts in the Granite State.

Chris Maidment, the New Hampshire political director of the DeSantis-aligned PAC Never Back Down, told NBC News he learned of his candidate’s fate like most others: from X. While he was, of course, upset by the end of his candidate’s bid, Maidment remained bullish on DeSantis’ long-term political future.

“I’m still voting him on Tuesday; he’s still on the ballot,” Maidment said. “He’s the strongest conservative candidate I’ve seen in my life — with him until the end.”

Others from DeSantis’ local orbit were seen in attendance, as well, including the campaign’s New Hampshire state director, Michael Gorecki. At one point, a man walked into the restaurant from off the street hoping the originally scheduled event was still taking place: “Will the governor still be here?”

When some New Hampshire voters looked at their phones to see who was calling today, the name appeared as “Donald J. Trump.”

They were getting automated calls inviting them to a tele-rally before Trump’s in-person event later in the day.

A Trump aide confirmed that the tele-rally took place around 6 p.m.

EXETER, N.H. — TV's renowned "Judge Judy," whose full name is Judith Sheindlin, made the case for Haley’s presidential bid here today while casting aspersions on both Biden and Trump in an interview.

“You’ve got to get on the Nikki bandwagon,” Sheindlin advised voters, telling NBC News that she cold-called Haley to tell her she was interested in meeting and endorsing her.

“She is a star. Not chaos. Focused, measured, disciplined, has the knowledge to deal with the world, which has become more and more chaotic. We can’t afford to have someone who hides in his basement being leader of the free world again," she said.

She said that she believes that "in a horse race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Trump is going to be president. And I think that is not a good place for America.”

Haley opened her rally tonight by saying: “Do you hear that sound? That’s the sound of a two-person race.”

Another protester just interrupted Trump at his event.

As the protestor was escorted out, Trump said, “Looked like a nice person.”

The protestor yelled, “You took millions from foreign governments,” and was quickly booed and escorted out.

“It doesn’t happen very much,” Trump said. It’s happened three times in the past couple of weeks, including last night.

At his rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, tonight, Trump addressed news that DeSantis was leaving the presidential race.

"Before we begin, I’d like to take time to congratulate Ron DeSantis — and, of course, a really terrific person who I have gotten to know, his wife, Casey — for having run a great campaign for president. He did, he ran a really good campaign."

Trump noted DeSantis' endorsement of him and said, "I appreciate that, and I also look forward to working with Ron and everybody."

SEABROOK, N.H. — Since the Iowa caucuses, Haley had tried to frame the Republican presidential race as one-on-one combat between her and Trump. 

DeSantis today made it official for Haley, who appeared noticeably energized as she delivered the news of his exit at a campaign stop — even though the question of just how much it will help her looms over the shrinking primary campaign.

Inside the Haley campaign, there’s a sense of energy over the news of his dropping out, though officials there don’t think it will make much of a difference when it comes to the numbers, pointing to public surveys showing DeSantis in the single digits in both South Carolina and New Hampshire. In that sense, they believe that’s why it was a two-person race before DeSantis dropped.

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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a former Republican presidential candidate who recently endorsed Trump, defended the former president after he mixed up Haley with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in remarks at a rally Friday night.

Appearing on ABC News' "This Week," Burgum noted that he has been on the campaign trail and argued that it’s possible for candidates to misspeak while working long days.

“And I know when you’re going around the clock it’s — it’s possible to, you know, to make — make — and on — say, use words that don’t fit into sentences,” he said. 

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke to reporters outside the Farm Bar and Grille where DeSantis was supposed to appear for a campaign event at 5 p.m. ET. He said he sent DeSantis a note thanking him and telling him “it’s a much more difficult decision than people realize.” 

Giuliani attacked Haley, saying she’s not up to the job and has made “horrendous mistakes,” including her comments about slavery’s role in the Civil War. 

Giuliani also said he spoke to Trump last night and planned to call him today but knows “he’s busy.”