In a recent discussion on MSNBC, New Hampshire's Republican Governor, Chris Sununu, sparred with host Jen Psaki over the political fallout surrounding former President Donald Trump.
Sununu, who has previously stated that the Republican party is evolving beyond Trump, defended the ex-President in the fiery exchange.
Addressing the relentless criticism of Trump, Governor Sununu posited that it seems motivated by political bias rather than factual analysis. "They are beating up on Trump for political reasons, everybody sees that," Sununu remarked, questioning the legitimacy of the pervasive criticism.
The Governor notably pointed to the controversial allegations of Russian collusion, now substantially debunked, as contributing to an unanticipated consequence: a perception of Trump as a victim. Sununu discussed the aftermath of the alleged Russian involvement, saying, "What happened with the Russian collusion that never existed effectively exonerated the guy. So, he can play a victim card. You've all created a situation where what kind of planet are we on where Donald Trump has become the victim? That's really what it is."
Sununu further suggested that repeated indictments, as forecasted by Psaki, might paradoxically boost Trump's national popularity. The Governor asserted that the ongoing legal attacks on the former President risk creating a 'Boy Who Cried Wolf scenario, potentially causing public skepticism and sympathy for Trump. Sununu branded the recent actions in New York, which led to the indictment of Trump by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, as "wrong."
When Psaki reiterated allegations of Russian interference in Trump's election - a claim refuted by Special Counsel John Durham's report - Sununu dismissed it. According to the Durham report, the Department and the FBI failed to maintain legality in the initial stages of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Standing firm, Sununu countered, "Yeah, I will not relitigate the Russian collusion nonsense that went on for two years." Psaki argued back, insisting that legal proceedings and investigations had sufficiently resolved the issue, which Sununu dismissed as "nonsense."
Drawing on public sentiment, Sununu maintained that the consistent attacks on Trump are primarily viewed as politically motivated. He suggested that Trump is masterfully leveraging this public perception to his advantage. "Nobody buys that any attack on Trump isn't anything but political. You have created, everybody has created this scenario, and he is playing it to the fullest. He is playing the violin strings better than anybody imagined, which is why his poll numbers, miraculously, are going up," said Sununu.
Indeed, a recent Fox News poll indicates that Trump maintains a substantial lead among GOP primary voters nationally, with 53% support compared to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' 20%.
While Sununu defended Trump during the exchange, he has previously been a vocal critic of the former President. The Governor went as far as to predict that any Republican candidate, barring Trump, would have the upper hand against President Joe Biden in the 2024 elections. "I think almost anybody would beat Joe Biden right now in '24 except Donald Trump," Sununu concluded.
Login