New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu said on Sunday that he expects his fellow Republicans to choose someone other than Donald Trump as the party’s 2024 presidential candidate, even as the former president continues to rally his followers ahead of the next election.
The moderate Republican, who himself is expected to announce a presidential candidate, told Chuck Todd on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he is a “lifelong Republican” who will support the GOP nominee. But when asked if that would change if Trump won the nomination, Sununu said “that’s not going to happen.”
“Obviously he’s in the race. He’s not going to be the nominee. It’s just not going to happen,” the governor said of Trump, adding that there were “many opportunities” to bring the Republican Party forward without “yesterday’s leadership … or crying about what happened in November.” 22.”
“I am confident that whoever comes out of the Republican nomination process will lead this country and will be able to win in ’24 and I will support them.”
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Sununu previously predicted that Trump would not be the GOP presidential nominee, saying last month that the 2024 race just “wasn’t the case” for Trump. On Saturday, the two-time former president took the stage at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference to repeat his usual laundry list of lies and complaints — the closest he’ll come to a campaign rally since announcing his 2024 candidacy in November.
During the speech, Trump promised to take revenge on those who disrespected his followers if he won again. Todd made an attempt by the former president – who was the main voice for the party and tried to disrupt the rebellion to come to power – in an attempt to position him as an outsider candidate who is expected to be a crowded pool 2024. .
“I think the former president has his own path. There is no need to carve out anything,” said Sununu who also tried to carve out a position as an outsider. “He is a famous commodity for every American in this country, that’s right. There are very few people who are on the fence, whether it’s with him or not, or whatever.
In addition to Trump, more than a dozen Republicans have announced their 2024 race or will enter the race — though only three attended CPAC over the weekend, including UN ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, one of Trump’s staunchest critics in the party, confirmed on Sunday that he would not run for president.
In a CPAC straw poll of announced and likely candidates, 62% of respondents said they would support Trump if the 2024 presidential election were held today. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to be the top GOP contender, received the second most votes.
“Now, if the election is today, Ron DeSantis will win in New Hampshire, there is no doubt in my mind. I think Ron DeSantis will win in Florida. So, I think the former president is trying to find a way to return to the main vote of the party,” said Sununu , a change of support from previous comments that cast a shadow over the governor.
“I think a lot of people who might be in the race want to have something to say about the direction of that conversation. But look back, thank you for your service. We’re moving on,” he continued. Tomorrow’s America is yesterday’s leadership. That doesn’t make sense. That is not in our DNA as Americans. It’s a kind of antithesis of the American spirit to establish yesterday’s news. We want the next generation, the next big idea, and that’s what we’re going to deliver.
Sununu said it would hurt the party “to stay on this ultra-conservative extreme path” because the GOP needs independent voters to win races.
The New Hampshire governor declined to say he was closer to announcing his own presidential candidate, insisting he wanted to focus on moving the party as a whole.