Sununu Says Trump ‘Contributed’ to Insurrection, but Still Has His Support

You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. The New Hampshire governor, who has been critical of the former president and supported Nikki Haley in the primary, said he wanted a Republican in the White House. Gov. Chris […]

Sununu Says Trump ‘Contributed’ to Insurrection, but Still Has His Support

Sununu Says Trump ‘Contributed’ to Insurrection, but Still Has His Support thumbnail

You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load.

The New Hampshire governor, who has been critical of the former president and supported Nikki Haley in the primary, said he wanted a Republican in the White House.

Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire walks through a parking lot while holding a to-go coffee cup, with several men walking behind him.
Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire said that Americans’ desire for “culture change” outweighed concerns about former President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to overturn the election or the four criminal trials he faces.Credit…Ruth Fremson/The New York Times

Maggie Astor

Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire said on Sunday that former President Donald J. Trump “absolutely contributed” to an insurrection and that Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election were “absolutely terrible” — but that nothing, not even felony convictions, would stop him from voting for Mr. Trump because the economy, border security and “culture change” were more important.

The interview, on ABC News’s “This Week,” showcased Mr. Sununu’s transformation from Trump critic — while supporting Nikki Haley in the Republican primary, he said Mr. Trump was “worried about jail time” and “not a real Republican” — to loyal foot soldier.

It is a transformation that has repeated itself time and again within the Republican Party, and one that Mr. Sununu previewed in January, when he was campaigning for Ms. Haley but said he would support Mr. Trump if he won the nomination.

“No one should be surprised by my support,” he said on Sunday. “I think the real discussion is, you know, Americans moving away from Biden. That’s how bad Biden has become as president. There’s just no doubt about it, right? You can’t ignore inflation. You can’t ignore the border and say that these issues in the courthouse are going to be the one thing that brings Biden back into office.”

The interviewer, George Stephanopoulos, pressed Mr. Sununu on why he was supporting a man who he said had “contributed to the insurrection” on Jan. 6.

Mr. Sununu affirmed that he still believed that. But he said it shouldn’t surprise anyone that a Republican governor would support a Republican nominee, and suggested that Mr. Stephanopoulos was out of touch with public opinion if he thought concerns about democracy or felony convictions would sway voters.


Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.


Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.