Former President Donald Trump is set to spearhead the first two rallies of his 2024 presidential campaign this weekend, in an effort to reinvigorate his second bid for the White House amidst ongoing criminal investigations and a disastrous 2022 midterms for the GOP that many placed at Trump’s feet. 

The former president will head to New Hampshire on Saturday to meet with the state’s GOP leaders, before traveling to Columbia, South Carolina, for an official campaign event in which he will introduce his “leadership team” in the state. 

Both New Hampshire and South Carolina are key early-voting states for both parties, and the winners of each may give an early indicator as to the potential GOP nominee. 

Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, told The Washington Post the South Carolina event “will show the significant support he has from grassroots leaders to elected officials.”

“There is no one else who can generate enthusiasm and excitement like President Trump.”

However, it seems many Republicans are looking to distance themselves from Trump, especially with the mounting evidence that he no longer carries the torch in the GOP as he once did.

Saturday will mark the first official campaign event for Trump despite launching his 2024 run more than two months ago. When asked how Trump’s campaign was going, Terry Sullivan, the campaign manager for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R) presidential bid in 2016, replied simply, “What campaign?”

Indeed, a poll cited by The Hill from the conservative South Carolina Policy Council said only 37 percent of the state’s likely GOP primary voters said they would cast a ballot for Trump, compared to 47 percent who said they’d prefer someone else. 

However, Trump still has support among some key South Carolina politicians, including Sen. Lindsay Graham (R), and some polls show him slightly ahead in a hypothetical matchup with President Biden.