Economy, border and ‘anybody but Trump’: Americans share their priorities in presidential primary

MANCHESTER, N.H. – On the eve of New Hampshire’s Republican presidential primary, several voters in Manchester said they had no desire to see former President Trump return to the Oval Office.

“Anybody but Trump,” Clayton said with a laugh.

Nikki Haley and former President Trump both campaigned in New Hampshire ahead of the Jan. 23 Republican primary. (Getty Images)

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Polls show the former president with double-digit leads over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley among likely Republican voters. But a recent Marist College survey suggests Haley would perform better against President Biden in a general election in the Granite State.

Brian from Manchester said he originally planned to vote for Chris Christie, but will vote for Haley since the former New Jersey governor dropped out.

“It’s a vote not for her so much, but it’s against Trump,” he told Fox News.

‘ANYBODY BUT TRUMP’: NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTERS SOUND OFF AHEAD OF REPUBLICAN PRIMARY:

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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton narrowly edged-out Trump in the 2016 election. In 2020, Biden beat Trump by about 7%.

Jessie was still trying to decide who to vote for, a difficult choice since her number one priority is a ceasefire in the Middle East.

“Unfortunately there is not a candidate that supports that right now,” she said.

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The economy was a top priority for several voters Fox News spoke with.

“It’s just crazy, the average American is living day-to-day, paycheck-to-paycheck,” Anna said.

Irene, the only voter Fox News interviewed who said she would support Trump, said immigration was among her top priorities.

Irene, an immigrant from Germany, said the economy and immigration are her top priorities in the presidential election. (Ramiro Vargas/Fox News Digital)

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“Close the border,” she said. “I’m a legal immigrant from Germany so I really believe this country is wonderful … the only way to get in here is through legal immigration.”

Trump is expected to hold a last-minute rally Monday night in Laconia alongside his former opponents South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

Click here to hear more from New Hampshire voters.

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