In a move that might mean more to the anti-Trump flank of the 2024 GOP presidential primary field, New Hampshire GOP Gov. Chris Sununu has decided against a campaign and is ready to help convince other anti-Trump candidates to get out sooner than later, too.
"We've taken the last six months to kind of look at things, we took at everything and I've made the decision not to run for president on the Republican ticket for 2024," Sununu told CNN on Monday.
"Obviously a lot goes into that decision. It's been quite an adventure, but not the end of the adventure by any means."
Sununu said he wants to get out of the way of a "very large field" and, potentially, not sap votes form the anti-Trump flank of the party. Sununu has long been an outspoken critic of Trump and New Hampshire is a very important "first in the nation" primary state for the GOP nomination.
"The former President Trump is doing much better in the polls than folks thought," Sununu said. "And, when I looked at where my voice can be, how we can make the Republican Party bigger, the responsibility that I think I have in focusing on the Republican Party and ultimately focusing on the opportunities for the country, and having a little more of a candidate, an unleashed voice and getting folks not to just worry about is it a vote well, is it a vote for Chris Sununu?
"I'm not worried about that. I want more independents on the Republican Party team. I want more young voters on the Republican Party team. I am tired of losing U.S. Senate races and governor races."
Sununu admitted, "sure," his decision was in part about Trump, but "this is about the Republican Party, not just about the former president," he added.
Sununu, as the governor of New Hampshire, said he is going to be "calling candidates out" to get out of the way on the anti-Trump flank by "Christmas at the latest."
"The message is clear: If you're not talking about the candidate winning by 20, 30 points, then you're just auditioning to be on his team," Sununu told CNN.
Sununu steered away from more harsh criticism of other candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, calling him a "very good governor" last week.
Sununu and DeSantis met earlier this month for about an hour when the Florida Republican traveled to meet with the New Hampshire Legislature.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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