Trump campaign returns to scene of first political victory

Donald Trump returned to New Hampshire, scene of his first political victory, with news of support from two local sports heroes, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick.

The Republican presidential nominee revealed the high-profile American football endorsements to a crowd of several thousand ecstatic supporters at a sports arena in Manchester, New Hampshire during the penultimate rally of his US presidential campaign ahead of the election today.

Trump likes winners and used his eve-of-election trip back to where his mind-boggling campaign began its ascent to laud the backing of a “great champion, unbelievable winner” in Brady.

The Patriots have appeared in the Super Bowl six times under Belichick and Brady since 2000, winning four times, and their support extends from their base outside Boston to New Hampshire, making the endorsements for Trump all the more important heading into a deadlocked race in the Granite State.

“Is there any better reference than Tom Brady and Bill Belichick?” the Republican asked his supporters who responded by filling the SNHU Arena in downtown Manchester with thunderous cheers.

A wistful and at times playful Trump, uncharacteristically drifting away from the teleprompter that has kept him on message in the election’s home stretch, was in a reflective mood when he arrived on stage for the fourth rally of the day covering as many states. He recalled the victory in the New Hampshire primary, the first in the country, in February that kickstarted his insurgent rise to the presidential nomination.

“So it all began for me in New Hampshire, the first state we won,” he said, referring to his resounding win over a large field including Republican career politicians and establishment names. The Live Free or Die state has a famous independent streak and Trump showed his first own breakaway moment then.

“One thing I’ll say about New Hampshire: I have never disappointed New Hampshire but New Hampshire has never disappointed me,” he said.

Show of strength

This appearance was as much a show of strength as a gesture of gratitude to his own team and the people of New England state for giving him that start. He was joined on stage by his running mate, Indiana governor Mike Pence and his adult children, Ivanka, Eric and Donald jnr, along with their partners including Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner, who has become one of Mr Trump's closest political advisers.

When the stage was left to the nominee, he returned to the Trump of old bragging about his performance in the polls, claiming to be ahead in all the key battleground states.

"We are going right after this to Michigan because Michigan is in play," he said.

New Hampshire was, like Mitt Romney in 2012, to have been Trump's last stop, but Michigan was added as polls showed the Republican having a chance of chipping away at the traditional Democratic firewall of his opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the Rust Belt state.

There was a carnival atmosphere to the closing events of Mr Trump's campaign. Lights and laser beams filled the arena. Some supporters even danced to songs as they awaited the arrival of the businessman from his third state of the day, Pennsylvania, another battleground state.

When he revealed Brady's support, the full-capacity crowd of almost 12,000 exploded in deafening noise. It was another big showbiz moment from a man who has showed his ability to dominate the headlines, particularly on a night when Clinton had headliners such as Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga performing for her in campaign-closing rallies in Philadelphia and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Trump explained that Brady, with whom he is friendly, called him on Tuesday and told him that he supported him and voted for him.

“So I said, ‘so Tom, you voted for me, you support me, am I allowed to say it to this massive crowd in New Hampshire?” said the candidate. “He said, ‘If you want to say it, you can say it, okay?’”

The backing of two prominent figures from the American sporting world stands in contrast to a campaign that has been bereft of high-profile endorsements from the world of entertainment.

Trump mocked Mrs Clinton’s backing from musicians Jay Z, Beyoncé and Springsteen at events.

“It’s actually demeaning to the political process. They listen because she can’t fill a room,” he said, claiming that he had 28,000 people inside and outside his rally, more than double the venue’s capacity.

‘Great plan’

“[WE HAVE ] more than Beyoncé, more than Jay Z, more than anybody,” he said. “And we don’t have a guitar. What we do have is we all have together a great plan: to make America great again.”

Trump’s affection for New Hampshire was clear on Monday night. He likes people who like him and the state fulfilled its side of the bargain in February and Trump came back to try to close the deal here.

"Tomorrow we are going to win the great state of New Hampshire and we are going to take back the White House, " he said.

Feeding the febrile energy of the crowd, Trump punctuated his speech with attacks on Clinton, Elizabeth Warren, the US senator from neighbouring Massachusetts, and Barack Obama. One reference to Clinton was met with a scream of "assassinate that bitch" from a man in the crowd.

The Republican nominee’s supporters were certainly fired up and believed Trump could deliver a decisive win.

"When I walk in my town, I don't see anything but Trump signs, very few Hillary signs," said Chris Annantuonio (47), a businessman from Newtown, New Hampshire. "You can see that he has got 10,000-plus people here. He has people in rallies all over the country. He has got enthusiasm."

Dressed as the Republican nominee, Eric Jackman, a car dealer, has made thousands of dollars impersonating Trump. He is voting for Trump because Clinton supported the war in Iraq. He sees another advantage: more lucrative opportunities as an impersonator if Trump is elected president.

“There is a Barack Obama impersonator who has been doing it for eight years and he is really good and he has made over $1 million,” he said. “So I have an opportunity to travel the world, bring my comedy to places I never event thought to, get paid pretty well and do what I love.”

John Gee (65), a business consultant from Portland, Maine, said he did not see a single election bumper sticker on any car driving down. He called this “the calm before the storm”.

“That is because the American people are thinking and not talking,” he said, a nod to the “silent majority” that Trump hoped he could mobilise.

“They are going to talk tomorrow.”