NH Governor Sununu Says Will Support 2024 GOP Nominee, Even If Trump, Amid Calls for Unity
Republican Party talk surrounding potential candidates for the 2024 GOP nomination continues to make waves, with some commentary focusing on former President Donald Trump’s reelection bid.
During NBC’s Sunday talk show “Meet the Press” on March 5, moderate Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu was candid about his actions with a possible Trump GOP ticket in 2024.
“As far as former President Trump, I think he’s going to run. Obviously, he’s in the race. He’s not going to be the nominee. That’s just not going to happen.”
Speculation swirls around whether Sununu will also throw his name in the hat for the 2024 GOP nomination. However, he hasn’t confirmed intentions to run against fellow Republicans like Trump or former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Hailey in the primaries.
While Sununu thinks it’s unlikely Trump will win the 2024 GOP candidacy, he assured he’d be supportive should Trump emerge from the primaries victorious.
“I’m a lifelong Republican. I’m going to support the Republican nominee,” he said.
“When you look at what’s coming out of the White House, it isn’t Democrat policies; it’s real left-wing extreme agenda type stuff that is not in the best interest of this country. And I have no doubt that any solid Republican would be better than what comes out,” he added.
Uniting the party behind whichever candidate runs for the presidency in 2024 has been a rallying call heard from Republican leaders in recent weeks, including Trump.
A request for all GOP candidates who participate in debates to sign a pledge of support for whoever wins the nomination was mentioned by Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Feb. 26.
“The voters get to choose. And if the Republican voters pick the nominee, then everybody on that debate stage … in the Republican National Committee primaries, should say, ‘I’m going to support the nominee,’” McDaniel told CNN’s “State of the Union.’
“We have to come together as a party,” she said.
McDaniel stressed the importance of unity, noting that big races were lost in the last election cycle due to “Republicans refusing to support other Republicans.” She added that unless the party comes together and supports whichever candidate gets the GOP presidential nomination, “we will not win in 2024.”
Sununu’s skepticism surrounding Trump’s ability to secure the presidential nomination arrives the day after the former president announced that he’d stay in the White House race, even if he’s criminally charged.
“Oh, absolutely, I won’t even think about leaving,” Trump told the press at a Conservative Political Action Conference.
Sununu said he believes the party will likely move in a different direction during the primaries.
“I think there’s a lot of opportunity to bring forward what the Republican Party—not what we were, not yesterday’s leadership or yesterday’s story … but what we’re going to bring to the table and get done tomorrow.”
