“Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker pressed New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) for being open to supporting Donald Trump as the GOP presidential nominee despite his criticism of the former president.
Welker asked Sununu, who has backed Republican candidate Nikki Haley and slammed the former president on several occasions, about Trump’s call for the president to have “total immunity” from prosecution for crimes they may commit in office — even for matters that “cross the line.”
Sununu, when asked about the former president’s argument, disagreed with him.
“The amazing thing about that clip is he was dead serious. He wasn’t even making one of his ridiculous jokes. He was dead serious about that,” Sununu said of the GOP front-runner.
“And that should give everybody — I don’t care what political party you’re from, whether you’re an extreme conservative or a socialist liberal — everybody should be concerned with that type of mentality going into the White House.”
Welker stepped in to add a footnote to Sununu’s criticism.
“And yet, you are saying if he is the nominee that you are going to support him. How can you say that you’ll support him, given that you disagree with that statement?” she asked Sununu, who said he’d support Trump as the GOP nominee even if he’s convicted.
“Look, at the end of the day, I think most Republicans are going to get behind the Republican nominee. I’m hoping that it’s obviously Nikki Haley. This is how bad Joe Biden is. Six months ago, Trump couldn’t beat Biden. This is how bad Joe Biden is,” said Sununu before referencing inflation and border security.
“And yet you’re saying that the comments by Donald Trump, everyone should be worried about that,” Welker replied.
“You have said earlier that Trump’s rhetoric and actions contributed to the Jan. 6 insurrection. How can you support someone who you believe contributed to the insurrection?” she asked.
“We’re here in New Hampshire in the first-in-the-nation primary. No one’s really thinking about the general election right now. If you want to beat Donald Trump, it has to happen at the ballot box,” said Sununu, who once predicted that Republicans would lose again if Trump is the nominee.