Chris Sununu Voices Support For Trump Despite Belief Ex-President Played A Role In Jan.6 Capitol Riots: 'As Does 51 Percent Of America'

In a surprising turn of events, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu has voiced his support for former President Donald Trump, even though he believes Trump had a hand in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.

What Happened: Sununu had a heated discussion with ABC’s “This Week” co-anchor George Stephanopoulos. The Governor defended his support for Trump, despite his earlier condemnation of Trump’s actions leading to the Capitol insurrection, reported The Hill.

Sununu, who had previously endorsed former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in the Republican presidential primaries, has been a vocal critic of Trump. However, he reiterated that his support is about the party ticket, not Trump himself.

When Stephanopoulos questioned Sununu’s support for a president who contributed to an insurrection, Sununu responded, “As does 51 percent of America, George.”

See Also: Michael Cohen Suggests Public Will Be Surprised By Bombshell Evidence In Donald Trump’s Hush Money Trial: ‘Headlines Do Not Necessarily Tell The Story’

Why It Matters: Sununu’s support for Trump comes as a surprise, given his previous criticism of the former president. In August 2023, Sununu had warned in a New York Times op-ed that the GOP would lose if Trump were nominated. He had urged Republican presidential primary candidates to distance themselves from Trump.

However, a January 2024 poll showed Trump leading in New Hampshire, with Haley trailing by 14 points. This could have influenced Sununu’s decision to support Trump.

In September 2023, Sununu criticized Trump’s influence on the GOP, attributing the party’s losses in recent elections to the former president. He had expressed his disappointment with the “Trump brand” during an appearance on ‘Meet the Press’.

Despite his previous criticisms, Sununu’s recent support for Trump underscores the complex dynamics within the Republican party and the enduring influence of the former president.

Photo via Shutterstock

Read Next: Elon Musk Says Democrats Will ‘Vote Against’ Trump And Mike Johnson’s Proposed Legislation Against Non-Citizen Voting: ‘Will Be Surprised If Even One Dem Votes For It’


Engineered by Benzinga Neuro, Edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal


The GPT-4-based Benzinga Neuro content generation system exploits the extensive Benzinga Ecosystem, including native data, APIs, and more to create comprehensive and timely stories for you. Learn more.


Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Comments
Loading...
Posted In: NewsPoliticsGeneral2024 electionChris SununuDonald TrumpNikki HaleyShivdeep DhaliwalTrump
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!