EYES TURN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TOMORROW IN THE RACE FOR THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION.

IT'S THE FIRST TIME VOTERS WILL HEAD TO THE POLLS FOR A PRIMARY ELECTION FOLLOWING LAST WEEK'S IOWA CAUCUS.

THEY'LL CAST THEIR BALLOTS JUST DAYS AFTER FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS ANNOUNCES HE IS SUSPENDING HIS CAMPAIGN.

THAT LEAVES A 2 PERSON BATTLE BETWEEN FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR NIKKI HALEY AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.

AND JOINING US NOW IS LYNN SWEET, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF OF THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.

LYNN, THANKS FOR COMING BACK AND TALKING TO US AGAIN.

WE LAST TALKED ON THE WEEK IN FRIDAY.

DESANTIS WAS STILL IN THE RACE.

SO HOW DOES THIS AND NOW ENDORSEMENT OF TRUMP CHANGE THINGS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE?

>> WELL, IT CHANGES THINGS, NAMELY FOR NIKKI HALEY PARISH BECAUSE SHE'S GETTING THE ONE ON ONE SHE'S BEEN WANTING WHETHER OR NOT THE DESANTIS ENDORSEMENT OF TRUMP REALLY I THINK REMAINS TO BE SEEN TO BE SCOTT ENDORSEMENT OF TRUMP.

I SEE IS MORE MEANINGFUL BECAUSE AFTER NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY, A FEW WEEKS AFTER THAT NOT DEBRA 24TH COMES TO SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY AS WE THIS IS A TEST OF WHETHER OR NOT STATE BEHIND FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA DESANTIS DOESN'T THAT MUCH PER SE.

BUT THE STAKES THEN GROW EXPERT ACTUALLY HIGHER FOR NIKKI YOU KNOW, ONE POINT IT SEEMED LIKE WAS EITHER RUNNING NECK AND NECK WITH TRUMP OR HELD LEADS ON TRUMP WAY BACK WHEN.

>> WHERE IT APPEARED MADE THE TRIP THE GOP WAS READY TO MOVE ON.

WHAT HAPPENED.

>> WELL, WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT TRUMP'S BASE IS MOVEMENT LIKE AND IF YOU HAVE A DESANTIS SAYING HE'S MORE OR LESS LIKE TRUMP MAY BE YOUNG GIRL AND A LITTLE LESS CHAOTIC WHEN YOU HAVE THE REAL THING, WHY WOULD YOU GO DESANTIS?

HE NEVER WAS ABLE TO BUILD A CAMPAIGN WAS ABLE ROAD ANY THE MOVEMENT FEEL THAT A TRUMP EVEN THOUGH HE CAMPED OUT 99 COUNTIES AND AND I WHAT GOT A VERY LITTLE RETURN FOR ALL THAT TIME.

AND HE INVESTED THERE.

ANOTHER REASON DROPPED OUT WITHOUT WANTING TO GO THROUGH NEW HAMPSHIRE IS THAT IT?

NEVER INVESTED AS MUCH TIME OR RESOURCES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

SO THERE WAS NO CHANCE THAT HE WOULD HAVE ANY MOMENTUM COMING OUT OF THE GRANITE STATE RACE.

>> AND IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T SEEM LIKE NIKKI HALEY HAS MOMENTUM GOING INTO THE GRANITE STATE RACE AS SHE HAD BEFORE.

IT SEEMS LIKE TRUMP'S LEAD IS ONLY WIDENED IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

>> RIGHT.

THINK THAT I NIKKI HALEY GOTTEN A WIND BEHIND BACK IN HAS BEEN FOCUSING WAS GOING TO SURPRISE.

IT SAYS THAT DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO GO INTO THE PRIMARY FIRST IN THE NATION PRIMARY TO VOTE FOR HER TO STITCH IT THIS UP FOR EVERYONE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, RULES ABOUT PARTY CHANGING UP YOUR DEMOCRAT ISSUED ITS FIRST BY A 2 OVER 3RD LAST YEAR TO A REGISTRATION.

YOU WHAT?

HARD TO FIGURE OUT IN GAINING WHETHER OR NOT TRUMP IS THE EVENTUAL NOMINEE IS MOVEMENT POLITICS WIPE OUT THE MODERATE REPUBLICANS AND PEOPLE THINK IT'S JUST TIME TO MOVE ON FROM TRUMP RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE HAD ONE TESTS AND TOMORROW WE'LL SEE ANOTHER ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF TRUMP'S MOVEMENT.

THAT, OF COURSE, KIND OF DEFIES POLITICAL GRAVITY.

>> IF NIKKI HALEY LOSES BUT COMES IN A CLOSE SECOND TO WITHIN 5 POINTS, DOES THAT GIVE OR SOME KIND OF MOMENTUM GOING FOR A SPECIAL MENTION SOUTH CAROLINA HOME STATE COMING UP.

>> WHAT IT IF SHE WINS?

IT WOULD, COURSE, BE THE MOST MOMENT.

BUT IT THE TEST REALLY IS COMING IN A FEW WEEKS.

AND THIS FEBRUARY, 24 CAROLINA PRIMARY.

IF SHE DO WELL AND MAYBE AN OUTRIGHT WIN, WHICH AGAIN, TRUMP PAUL PULLING AHEAD.

WE'RE COMING CLOSE.

IT WILL BE HARDER FOR HER TO STAY TO THAT SAY SUPER TUESDAY WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF DELEGATES AT STAKE, THE WAY YOU GET TO BE A DELEGATE TO BE A PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES TO GET SOUTH CAROLINA.

WINNER TAKE ALL STATE.

IT DOESN'T HAVE THAT MANY DELEGATES.

ILLINOIS MORE.

THEN THAT.

BUT IN TERMS OF JUST KEEPING THE DONOR BASE HAPPY, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT IN THESE EARLY VOTING STATES, IT JUST MAKES FOR MERGE OVER CALL FOR HER TO TRY AND COLLECT DELEGATES IN A SMARTER WINDS.

IF SHE DOESN'T VERY WELL IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

>> LYNN, YOU KNOW, WE WE HAVE TO MENTION THE FACT THAT TRUMP IS FACING 91 CRIMINAL INDICTMENTS, INCLUDING AN ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO OVERTURN THE LAST ELECTION.

ARE YOU SURPRISED AT THE PARTY HAS AND LARGE RALLY TO HIS SIDE?

AGAIN, JUST GIVEN THE FACT THAT LIKE YOU SAID, HE'S HE'S GOT THE MOVEMENT HERE.

HE'S HE'S HE'S THE ONE THAT STILL LOOKS LIKE THE STANDARD THERE.

>> WELL, HIS GIFT OF COMMUNICATION TO GET PEOPLE TO HE DOESN'T.

SEEMS DEFY WHAT YOU WITH YOUR OWN EYES AS VIDEO TAPE FOR ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL JANUARY 6.

FEEL FROM MY ANALYSIS IS WHAT I'VE READ OF INTERVIEWS OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS IS THAT THEY JUST DISCOUNT ALL THE CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST HIM WITHOUT MAKING A LOT OF DISTINCTION THAT THE CASES ARE DIFFERENT.

THE CASE ABOUT KEEPING JACKET, VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE CASES DEALING WITH TRYING TO OVERTURN THE ELECTION SEND INTO TRYING TAMPERED AT BIG