In a recent interview, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu hinted that former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie should consider stepping down from the 2024 presidential race ahead of his state’s primary. Sununu, a supporter of former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in the Republican primary, expressed his belief that Christie’s campaign has hit a “dead end”.
Speaking to CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union”, Sununu stated, “The only person that wants Chris Christie to stay in the race is Donald Trump.” He further suggested that the only candidate making significant strides is Nikki Haley, while Christie’s chances of bridging a 30-point gap in the next three weeks seem slim.
According to Sununu, Haley is the candidate who “can make up five or 10 points and kind of give Trump that defeat that no one thought was possible in the next few weeks.” He expressed optimism that voters and, hopefully, Christie himself would rally behind Haley. However, he acknowledged that the final decision rests with Christie.
A representative for Christie’s campaign did not directly respond to Sununu’s comments but emphasized in a statement to CNN that the recent events have reinforced Christie’s long-standing assertion that truth matters and that addressing the easy questions is a prerequisite to solving the big problems.
Sununu’s remarks come amidst increasing criticism from Christie and other GOP presidential hopefuls of Haley’s omission of slavery as a cause of the Civil War during a New Hampshire town hall. While Sununu admitted that it was a mistake, he dismissed it as a “nonissue”, stating that Haley had promptly clarified her statement.
Addressing the issue of former President Donald Trump’s removal from the 2024 primary ballots in Maine and Colorado, Sununu warned that this could potentially bolster Trump’s “victim card” stance in the presidential race. He expressed his belief that such actions are not helpful and are unjust.
Trump’s legal team is reportedly planning to appeal the two decisions, which are based on the 14th Amendment, to remove him from the primary ballots on Tuesday. The 14th Amendment, ratified post-Civil War, disqualifies US officials who have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and have “engaged in insurrection” or have “given aid or comfort” to insurrectionists from holding future office. However, the Constitution does not provide clear guidelines on enforcing this ban, leading to debates on its applicability to the presidency.
Sununu expressed his desire for Trump to be on the ballot in “all 50 states” so that “Nikki Haley can beat him in all 50 states.” This story has been updated with additional details. CNN’s Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.