OAN National Political Correspondent Daniel Baldwin
2:20 PM – Friday, April 28, 2023
As I settled in and took a seat in the back of the newly renovated Trump Force One, the plane’s namesake Donald Trump walked up.
“What did the latest Emerson poll say?” the 45th president asked, turning to me.
“It shows you leading DeSantis 62% to 16%, sir,” I responded.
“So he’s tanking,” Trump responded. “That’s a good poll.”
Trump walked back to his seat in the belly of his newly refurbished 757-200. The Emerson Poll he was referring to showed the 45th president sporting a 46% advantage over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. This is Trump’s largest lead to date.
The flight from West Palm Beach to Manchester, New Hampshire featured the team in work mode – huddled away in the conference room as we sat in the back with secret service. Unlike most Save America rallies, this was a slightly different event. It was designed to be a smaller, more intimate environment. Trump even invited his New Hampshire victory team to sit on stage when he delivered his remarks.
We landed around 3:30 p.m., and a confident Trump deliberately walked down the plane’s stairs. But before ducking into his assigned car, he turned to the press and yelled, “Do I look good?” He walked over to us, waved, and then slipped into his car – zipping away to address an eager crowd.
Unlike other events, the traveling press was not stationed on the normal media risers. We were led in through a back door and were stationed on the right side of the stage. I have covered countless Trump campaign events, but the intensity of his New Hampshire supporters immediately jumped out to me. They were constantly cheering and chanting – wanting to ensure their president knew how excited they were to personally welcome him to the Granite State.
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