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New Hampshire Republican Governor Chris Sununu mocked Donald Trump on Tuesday, saying that the former president is "surrounded by losers."
During an interview on Fox News' The Faulkner Focus, host Harris Faulkner spoke about Trump's recent rally and how many of his former Republican competitors have dropped out of the 2024 presidency race and supported the former president.
"Losers," Sununu said. "Congratulations Donald Trump, you're surrounded by losers."
Over the past several weeks, Sununu has shown support for former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is Trump's sole competitor in the Republican primary. On the other hand, former Republican candidates like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott have suspended their campaigns and endorsed Trump.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's spokesperson via email for comment.
Ahead of Tuesday's voting in the New Hampshire primary, a poll from Suffolk University/NBC10 Boston/Boston Globe, found Trump holding a strong lead over Haley. According to the poll, 60 percent of respondents in the state sided with Trump, while 38 percent said they'd vote for Haley.
On Tuesday morning, Haley appeared on Fox News' Fox & Friends and said that she will continue her campaign even if she loses in New Hampshire.
"Look at the political class all coalescing and saying everybody needs to get out, that's not democracy, that's not who we are. When have we ever had two people, down to two people in New Hampshire, and you say, 'Oh, it's over,'" Haley said.
"When I ran for governor, I ran against an attorney general, a lieutenant governor and a popular congressman, and I worked it and fought for it and earned it....I'm gonna go into South Carolina and do the same thing. I take nothing for granted."
This is not the first time Sununu has criticized Trump. Over the weekend, he said he thought a recent Trump rally "wasn't even that big."
"The guy had to curtain off half of the stadium, so it didn't look empty, and then flies out of here," Sununu said during an interview with NBC News' Meet the Press.
While speaking with CNN's The Lead, Sununu said that Trump lacked energy in his recent rallies.
"It's really about the energy of that campaign. Trump has no energy—the guy can barely read a teleprompter right now," he said. "It's all about the enthusiasm, where's the energy. Not just what people say on a phone or how they, you know, respond to an online text or something."
Newsweek reached out to Sununu's press office via email for comment.
Update 1/23/24, 3:48 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.
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Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more