KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:
A day before the New Hampshire primary, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump isn't taking anything for granted. He is leading in the polls there, but the same was true by a smaller margin in Iowa last week before the caucuses, and he ended up coming in second. Trump's day in New Hampshire will end with a rally in Manchester tonight. And NPR's Sarah McCammon reports he's also engaging a more conventional retail politics.
SARAH MCCAMMON, BYLINE: At an Elks Lodge in Salem, N.H., this morning, Donald Trump thanked the crowd for filling up the room.
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DONALD TRUMP: Thank you very much. I thought this was a tiny, little venue with just a few people going to be here, and this is a great turnout.
MCCAMMON: Not a tall order at that small venue which seated only a couple hundred people. It was a departure from the large arenas where Trump often speaks.
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TRUMP: And let's get going. OK.
MCCAMMON: Standing in the center of the room with a handheld microphone, Trump jumped into taking questions on topics like the economy and national security.
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TRUMP: And we'll have a little fun. Go ahead.
MCCAMMON: Asked if he would name any of his fellow candidates to his cabinet as president, Trump said he thinks, quote, "a few of them have good talent," but said right now, he's focused on getting the nomination.
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TRUMP: You know, I've been a closer all my life. I get the deal done, right? We get the deal done. So I want to get the deal done.
MCCAMMON: On his last day to close that deal in New Hampshire, he's spending lots of face time with voters. Sandy Woodmansee is a Trump supporter, and he'd like to see Trump take a page from the playbook of rival Ted Cruz, who routinely holds small campaign stops and mingles with voters.
SANDY WOODMANSEE: Getting out, touching people and getting personal - I think a venue like this where he can get out an literally meet the people I think is a good thing.
MCCAMMON: Throughout the town hall event, Trump repeatedly told his supporters...
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TRUMP: Get out tomorrow and vote - so important.
MCCAMMON: Important because the true test for Trump is whether he can turn the big rallies and the big poll numbers into votes. Sarah McCammon, NPR News, Salem, N.H. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
