New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) said he supports former President Trump despite believing he “contributed” to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Sununu went back and forth with co-anchor George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday to explain why he is backing Trump despite condemning his actions leading up to Jan. 6. Stephanopoulos pressed Sununu on his statement released after the Jan. 6 attacks that stated Trump’s “rhetoric and actions contributed to the insurrection.”
Sununu, who has endorsed Trump, said Sunday that he stood by his statement.
“I think he — his actions absolutely contributed to that. There’s no question about that. I hate the election denialism of 2020. Nobody wants to be talking about that in 2024,” he said.
He said that while he believes Trump “contributed” to the attack, he is backing Trump to elect a Republican to the White House.
“Because for me, it’s not about him as much as it is having a Republican administration — Republican secretaries, Republican rules, a sense where states’ rights come first, individual rights come first, parents’ rights come first,” he said.
“It’s not about Trump with me,” he added.
Sununu supported former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley during the Republican presidential primaries before she dropped out of the race last month. He has frequently criticized the former president and said last year he would work to narrow the 2024 GOP field in an effort to defeat Trump.
Stephanopoulos continued to press Sununu on his support for the former president on Sunday.
“And you believe that someone — you believe that a president who contributed to an insurrection should be president again?” he asked.
“As does 51 percent of America, George. I mean, really,” Sununu responded. “I understand you’re part of the media. I understand you’re in this New York City bubble or whatever it is, but you’ve got to look around what’s happening across this country. They’re not — it’s not about just supporting Trump. It’s getting rid of what we have today.”
Sununu later reiterated that it is about the party ticket, not Trump.
“I know you’re shocked that the Republican governor is supporting a Republican president and the Republican ticket, but it’s about the ticket. It’s about up and down the ballot, right?” he said.
“I want Republican governors and senators and congressmen, and that type of culture, if you will. I keep going back to that because that’s exactly what it is. That’s the change America is looking for,” he added.