US election 2016: Donald Trump rallies supporters in Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump's had a busy start to the year after holding two rallies in New England on 5 January. The first rally was held in Massachusetts, while the second was held in the neighbouring state of New Hampshire.

Trump, who has held a steady lead in the Republican race, used his rally in New Hampshire to address the newly announced executive orders on gun control. The candidate said the executive orders issued by Obama earlier in the day were "no good" and "no fair".

The candidate added that the new restrictions made him miss the days when presidents and Congress worked together to change federal laws. "They are not going to screw around the Second Amendment," Trump said during the rally in Claremont, New Hampshire. "It's not going to happen. That is the way it is."

Trump's comments were expected, as Republicans are often in disagreement with the president over gun control issues. CNN reported that the candidate was even set to receive an AR-15 rifle as a gift from Black Op Arms prior to the rally in the Granite State. "We heard Mr Trump is excited about receiving it," said store owner Mark Limoges. "But the Secret Service obviously had some concerns."

According to Washington Post reporter Jenna Johnson, Trump also discussed Bowe Bergdahl, rival Jeb Bush, safety threats and stopped the flow of drugs from Mexico during his rally in New Hampshire. He later took questions from the audience, Johnson reported.

Trump takes on Cruz

In an interview prior to his rally in Lowell, Massachusetts, Trump questioned rival Ted Cruz's eligibility to run for president. The Republican frontrunner said that Cruz's Canadian birthplace was a "very precarious" issue that could harm the Texas senator if he were to win the Republican presidential nomination.

"Republicans are going to have to ask themselves the question: 'Do we want a candidate who could be tied up in court for two years?' That'd be a big problem," Trump said. "It'd be a very precarious one for Republicans because he'd be running and the courts may take a long time to make a decision. You don't want to be running and have that kind of thing over your head."

The real estate mogul turned politician added: "I'd hate to see something like that get in his way. But a lot of people are talking about it and I know that even some states are looking at it very strongly, the fact that he was born in Canada and he has had a double passport."

Trump's comments come as Cruz continues to rise in the polls and begins to present a viable threat to Trump, who has maintained the lead in the Republican field. Trump was among the most vocal doubters of Obama's true birthplace and led the birther movement that forced the president to present his Hawaiian birth certificate.