New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) said on Sunday that Republicans want “someone who can win” as their presidential candidate, adding that former President Trump lost the past three elections for the GOP.
“Republicans want someone who can win in November of ‘24. Donald Trump is a loser. He has not just lost once. He lost us … our House seats in 2018,” Sununu said. “He lost everything and ‘20. We should have 54 U.S. senators right now and we don’t because of his message. So, Donald Trump is positioning himself to be a four-time loser in 2024.”
Sununu said that while Republicans have rallied behind the former president as he faces multiple investigations, that support may not “translate into a vote.” He noted that voters do not know who they are voting for three weeks before the election, saying that other candidates will enter the race and debates will need to be held to determine who will be the nominee.
“You know, you can’t govern if you don’t win,” Sununu said.
“And again, so he drags that ticket down,” he added, referring to Trump. “I think that reality is going to really come to bear through the primary process. So I understand folks are supporting him. They think that a lot of the stuff with the DA is political, which I believe it is too, by the way.”
Sununu said that Trump plays the “victim card,” but Republicans want someone “who’s going to fight for them.” And the governor said the former president did not follow through on his campaign promises, like building a border wall and reforming health care.
“Republicans want someone who’s going to fight for them. But we also want a fighter that can win. He said he was going to go to Washington and drain the swamp. He didn’t do it,” Sununu said. “He said he was going to build a wall and secure things. He didn’t do it. He said he was going to give us health-care reform and be fiscally disciplined, not add $8 trillion to the debt. He didn’t do any of those things. And so we want fighters that can actually win and take accountability.”
Sununu has previously said that Trump will not be the nominee, saying that it is not “going to happen.”
When asked on Sunday when the governor is expected to make a decision on whether he will run for president, Sununu dodged the question, saying “everybody will have to make a decision by Fourth of July.”