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Trump Confronts 2024 Obstacles as He Returns to Campaign Trail

  • Candidate visits early states two months after campaign launch
  • Events marked by small crowds, shadow cast by potential rivals
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, South Carolina, on Jan. 28.
Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, South Carolina, on Jan. 28.Photographer: Sam Wolfe/Bloomberg

Donald Trump ran headlong into some of the biggest challenges he’ll face in his comeback bid — fading enthusiasm among Republicans looking to move on from the former president and rising rivals for the GOP nomination — as he hit the 2024 campaign trail for the first time.

Trump on Saturday visited two crucial early-voting states, New Hampshire and South Carolina, and tried to tamp down criticism that his campaign has been lackluster since announcing his third White House bid last November.