New Hampshire Gov. and potential presidential contender Chris Sununu scoffed Sunday that former President Donald Trump has no chance of winning the 2024 Republican nomination.
Sununu — asked on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” about the Republican National Committee wanting to make GOP candidates pledge their support to the party’s eventual nominee — said he’s OK with doing so.
But regardless, Trump won’t be the party’s choice, the pol said.
“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,” the governor said.
“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, or crying about what happened in November of ‘22 — but what we’re going to bring to the table and get done tomorrow, and that’s what America is looking for,” Sununu said.
”And so I’m really confident that whoever comes out of the Republican nomination process is going to lead this country and will be able to deliver a win in ‘24, and I’ll back them,” he continued.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said flat-out Sunday that former President Donald Trump will not be the Republican nominee in 2024.
Meet The Press/NBC
Sununu’s assessment of Trump’s campaign came the day after the former president appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland, delivered the keynote speech and ran away with a straw poll of possible 2024 contenders.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has yet to officially announce his expected candidacy, finished second in the poll with 20%, followed by Michigan businessman Perry Johnson at 5%, former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley at 3% and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 1%.
Sununu dismissed the poll and predicted that DeSantis would win a Republican primary in New Hampshire if the election were held today.
“There’s no doubt about that in my mind,” he said.
Sununu also had this message for Trump.
Former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters Saturday before his rousing speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Getty Images
“Look, again, ‘Thank you for your service. We’re moving on.’ I just don’t believe the Republican party is going to say that the best leadership for America tomorrow is yesterday’s leadership. That doesn’t make any sense,” Sununu said.
Asked about his own presidential intentions in 2024, Sununu, who was elected to a fourth two-year term in office in November, said he is not “focusing on the decision right now.
“My mission is making sure we’re making this party bigger, frankly. You can’t govern if you don’t win, and so I’m really focused on how do we win,” he said.
“No matter who the candidate is, how do we win in November of ’24? Well, we have to attract independents, we have to bring that next generation of voter more on the team.”
