In a recent development, New Hampshire's Republican Governor Chris Sununu has refrained from urging his friend and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to withdraw from the GOP presidential nomination race.
However, he did express his concerns to Fox News about Christie's dwindling popularity, suggesting that Christie may have reached his peak in his second attempt at the presidency.
Sununu further highlighted that Christie could play a pivotal role in the race by supporting Nikki Haley, thereby potentially causing a setback for former President Donald Trump and propelling Haley to victory. "Christie has the chance to be the hero. To put Nikki [Haley] over the top. To deliver [former President Donald] Trump that loss, Nikki that win that the rest of the countrys looking for," Sununu stated.
As a prominent Republican figure in the state that hosts the first primary in the GOP presidential nominating calendar, Sununu's endorsement of Haley last month was a significant blow to Christie. Christie has staked his campaign on a strong performance in New Hampshire. Meanwhile, Haley has seen a surge in her popularity in New Hampshire, currently ranking second and ahead of Christie. She has also managed to close the gap with Trump, who remains the dominant front-runner in his third consecutive White House bid.
Despite their longstanding friendship and shared criticism of Trump, Sununu has repeatedly argued that Christie lacks a viable path to the nomination since endorsing Haley. "Chris has kind of hit his limit at around 13% of the vote. He speaks the truth on Trump, but thats very different than whether it translates into votes for the nomination to become president of the United States," Sununu told Fox News Digital.
Sununu also pointed out that Christie's campaign lacks a solid ground game in other states, and relying solely on New Hampshire as a launching pad is not a feasible strategy. "Hes not going to surge 30% in the next three weeks. That aint happening. He hasnt put a ground game in any other state, and you cant just use New Hampshire as a launching ground to nothing else," he said.
In response to Sununu's endorsement of Haley, Christie stated last month that it was not Sununu's place to dictate when a candidate should withdraw from the race. "Its not his [Sununu's] job to tell anybody when to get out. He can support whomever he likes, but its not his job to tell anybody when its time to get out of the race. Thats an individual choice to make, and Im not going anywhere, so lets be really clear about that," Christie said.
When asked about Christie's remarks, Sununu clarified that he was not insisting that Christie withdraw from the race. He expressed his belief that Christie is astute enough to recognize the current political landscape and seize the opportunity to support Haley, thereby making a significant contribution to the country and the party.
Ahead of a town hall with Haley, the former South Carolina governor and ex-ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, praised Sununu's understanding of New Hampshire and its residents. "He knows this state very well. He knows what Granite Staters want. They trust him. They have a relationship with him. And so, whatever he says, I think people believe," Haley said.
Haley also addressed Christie's stance, stating, "Christie didnt want Trump to win. Our goal is to make sure that Trump doesnt win and that we get our country strong and proud again and thats what were going to do."
Christie has consistently rejected suggestions that he should withdraw and support Haley to defeat Trump. He has emphasized his unique position as the only Trump rival who is directly confronting the former president. "Im the only one saying Donald Trump is a liar," Christie declared in a recent ad campaign in New Hampshire.
As Sununu and Haley continue their joint campaign efforts in New Hampshire, Christie accused Sununu of changing since he started working for Haley. "Since Chris started to work for Nikki Haley and become an employee of Nikki Haley, its not the same Chris Sununu anymore," Christie stated in a CNN interview.
Christie accused Sununu of abandoning his principles for political gain within his state. Despite these allegations, Sununu is set to continue campaigning with Haley in New Hampshire and Iowa, leading up to the state's January 15 caucuses, which kick off the GOP presidential nominating calendar.
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