Trump, DeSantis set to appear at dueling events in New Hampshire Tuesday

Former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will offer a split-screen moment in New Hampshire next week as they appear at dueling events on the same day.

Trump is set to appear at the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women’s Lilac Luncheon in Concord, N.H., next Tuesday, according to an event listing on the organization’s website. 

Meanwhile, DeSantis’s campaign confirmed to The Hill that the Florida governor would be in Hollis, N.H., on the same day as Trump’s visit. The news of the dueling visits in the Granite State was first reported by Fox News.

The development comes as the 2024 GOP presidential field has started to solidify, with national polls showing Trump as the front-runner and DeSantis generally polling in second place. Trump and DeSantis have started to crisscross early presidential primary states like New Hampshire and Iowa, with their campaigns largely focusing ammo on each other. 

Still, while the Florida governor has taken some opportunities to take a few jabs at Trump, he’s largely avoided harshly and directly targeting Trump in the same manner that the former president has directed toward DeSantis.

It underscores the tricky balance Republicans must face as they seek to court Trump-aligned GOP voters while differentiating themselves from the pack.