MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — President Donald Trump has tweeted reassurances to Iowa and New Hampshire that the two states will be first in the presidential primary schedule “as long as I am President.” He called it a “Great tradition!”

The Iowa Democratic Party has spent the week trying to verify results from Monday’s caucuses, adding fuel to complaints that the earliest voting states should be more representative of the U.S. demographically. Trump’s tweet today (Friday) will appeal to many voters in the two states leading up to the general election because they want to preserve their states’ special role in the presidential race.

“I agree — thank you, Mr. President!,” tweeted New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican. The head of New Hampshire’s Democratic Party, Ray Buckley, wouldn’t say Friday if he has confidence in Tom Perez’s leadership at the Democratic National Committee.
Perez has called for a recanvass of the Iowa caucuses and sought to shift blame onto the Iowa Democratic Party.

New Hampshire’s primary is next Tuesday.