Republican candidates flock to N.H. town halls, as voters search for Trump alternative: 5 takeaways

EXETER, N.H. — Presidential voters wanted an outsider and a fighter who would rock the Washington establishment in 2016.

Amid a global pandemic in 2020, however, they were in the mood for a steadier hand and more even temperament from America's commander-in-chief.

What do they want in 2024?

As voters questioned five Republican presidential candidates in a series of town halls in Exeter, New Hampshire, hosted by Seacoastonline and the USA TODAY Network, some key answers and takeaways emerged.

Worries about the future: Climate change, Social Security

Voters who attended the forums shared a number of concerns about hot button topics such as the chaos enveloping the House of Representatives and the terrorist group Hamas attackin Israel.

But repeatedly those who showed up to speak with the candidates face-to-face wanted answers on how they would tackle America's long-term problems.

The first question at the first forum, for instance, was a voter who asked former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson about a possible decrease in Social Security, which has a projected 2034 depletion date, according to the program's board.

Over the course of the week, each candidate faced generations of voters born from the World War II to 9/11 era, who pressed the candidates about the threat of climate change, the national debt and the best ways to combat China's global influence.

You can watch all five forums here.

Compassionate conservatism making a comeback?

Donald Trump's dominance in state and national polls has many believing his grip on the Republican Party is almost unbreakable.

The former president's bombastic style and populist delivery bulldozes those rivals, according to surveys.

What may surprise some is that the candidates who flocked to Exeter's town halls repeatedly emphasized how the voters who aren't paying attention yet want a solutions-oriented leader seeking common ground in 2024.

Asked about a federal ban on abortion, for instance, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley asserted how she is "unapologetically pro-life" and that the "collective goal is to save as many babies as possible and support as many moms as possible."

But the former U.S. ambassador to the UN said Republicans shouldn't judge fellow Americans who support reproductive rights and should instead look for consensus

"Stop demonizing this issue. We have to humanize it," said Haley, who has climbed to second in New Hampshire, according to a recent USA TODAY/Boston Globe/Suffolk University survey.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also gave impassioned comments about how, if elected, his administration would look to help Americans struggling with mental health, substance abuse and drug addiction if elected president.

"This is not a Republican problem. It's not a Democrat problem. Addiction doesn't discriminate," he said.

Haley and Ramaswamy's contrasts pack the house

Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy have become heated rivals who have traded sharp and personal jabs on the debate stage and online.

They also represent the GOP's diversifying face in the 2024 cycle as the daughter and son of Indian immigrants who are offering voters wildly different approaches to national and world problems.

Haley, who is also the only woman running on the Republican side, talks a lot about expanding the GOP tent and finding compromise while upholding conservative principles on domestic issues.

"Republicans have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president," she said. "That is nothing to be proud of."

She is more of a hawk on foreign affairs, saying Ukraine's war with Russia is a fight for freedom, "we must win."

Ramaswamy is the exact opposite in many ways, saying "incremental reform" isn't enough and that a total overhaul is needed.

"I favor quantum leap change," he said.

Among the five candidates who dropped into Exeter's famed town hall, those two contrasting visions were the forums that had standing room only attendance which could indicate they're on a collision course in the Granite State.

Pence praised for Jan. 6 role

Mike Pence has been pilloried by Trump, his old boss and running mate, for refusing to help overturn the 2020 election results.

At various points on the campaign trail, people have confronted the former vice president, calling him a "sell out." In one moment he was accused of "treason" during an event in Iowa.

But others came to Pence's defense during the New Hampshire forums, saying they wanted to specifically thank him for refusing to cave amid pressure from Trump and threats from supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

"I want people to know the way forward in this country is for us to get back to what we all agree upon... I hope we proved in part that day, I'm that man," Pence said.

Rivals urge moving on from Trump, voters skeptical

During the town halls multiple contenders argued Trump, the front-runner, is past his political prime.

Haley said Republicans must leave behind "the negativity and chaos and the baggage." Pence said Trump isn't "running on the agenda we governed on."

Hutchinson, who failed to qualify for the Sept. 27 debate, said how he won't leave the race based on the polls and believes New Hampshire voters should be the ones who narrow the field.

"I'll make my case that Donald Trump is not the right leader for our party and our country," he said.

Many voters who attended the forums this past week, however, said they fear Trump has the primary wrapped up.

"The people are really wild for him," said Robert Grant, 73, a retiree from Tewksbury, Mass., who attended the Hutchinson town hall. "They would go to jail for him."

Larry Provencher, 66, a semi-retired artist in Exeter, New Hampshire, told USA TODAY that he fears Trump may be the inevitable Republican nominee, adding that the former president "just lost a few upstairs."

Reporters David Jackson and Sudiksha Kochi contributed to this story.