State of the Union: Interview With Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH)
Interview
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Well, let's start with the fact that they got a deal done. It's a miracle. I mean, release the doves, right? Washington actually is moving forward.
Both sides seem pretty frustrated, which means it's probably a pretty good deal, actually. The fact that we have to have the threat of a -- of defaulting on our debt, which is one of the worst things that could happen in America economically, by the way, the fact that you have to get there to do some basic things, I thought you asked the exact right question.
Why didn't the Democrats make different changes when they had the chance to do it? Or why didn't Republicans make certain changes back in '17 and '18 when they -- when they had the chance? It's like Washington doesn't know how to react until they have to react.
So, in terms of what's being negotiated, the food stamps and all of that, those are kind of small pieces. They're important, to be sure, but they're not deal-breakers, so to say. And you got to give a little to get a lot. So I give both Kevin McCarthy and the Democrat side credit for actually getting something done and not waiting until 11:59:59, so to say.
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Look -- yes, look, I think Governor DeSantis is a very good governor. His campaign is just getting under way. There's a lot to play. He's on the ground here, which I give him credit, coming to -- kind of doing the retail politics in New Hampshire.
And I think he will do it also in Iowa. I think he's coming back in a couple of weeks. So, he's doing -- so far, he's doing what he needs to do to get his campaign under way.
So, you kind of -- we will see where it all goes. Other candidates will get into the race. And what we have all learned is, you can't prevent candidates from getting in. Everyone says, oh, there's going to be too many folks getting in. And there could be 12 people that get in.
The key, the discipline is getting out. The discipline is, come November, late December, if you're sitting in low single digits, get your butt out of the race. Let's narrow this thing down to two or three candidates and really figure out where the party is going to go.
I think, when you do that, then the options will really present themselves. But, of course, former President Trump is doing better than anybody thought. He's playing this victim card. The media, the DA in New York, all these things have kind of worked in his favor very much. He's playing the -- I mean, just the fact that we're talking about Donald Trump as a victim, I mean, that's unique in itself.
But that isn't lasting, necessarily. That doesn't mean that the support he has today turns into a vote nine months from now.
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Sure.
So, look, I'm just about good government, right? I'm about efficiency in government and low spending, low taxation, individual freedoms and responsibilities. And I'm not saying we shouldn't talk about the culture war stuff, don't get me wrong. I just don't believe government is going to solve a culture war, right?
You got to be sure you lead on it. You can talk about it. But if your top priority is culture wars, and not managing spending, creating more opportunities at a localized level, draining the swamp, which I was told that was going to happen, never happened a bit -- former President Trump blew that one.
Securing the border, former President Trump blew that one. Fiscal discipline, former President Trump blew that one too. So I just think there's a lot of things within the mantle of the Republican Party that we have kind of lost focus on, right? We have all these other issues that kind of get in our way. They clog up I think what just good, practical, efficient government should be.
And, ultimately, that's what America wants, with the right attitude, the right approach, and someone that can just cross the aisle when they need to make sure we're getting stuff done.
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No. No, it's not disqualifying, nothing I would do, of course, but not disqualifying.
Look, I think, in this day and age, there's nothing disqualifying for any candidate, unfortunately. We have seen kind of hyperbole on both sides. We have seen extremes on both sides. So when we say, oh, well, that will -- that one issue will drive that candidate out of the race, back in 1996, maybe something like that was the case.
But it's bizarre how single issues don't drive and don't cancel out any candidate anymore. But, ultimately, the candidates still have to live on their merits. And here's the key for Republicans, right? We're constantly talking about January 6, election denial, all these things in the past.
We have to be a party, we have to be a nation that is talking about the future. What are you going to bring us tomorrow, not what are we going to kind of relitigate and get retribution for in the past? And I think, if you have candidates that do, that focus on the future in terms of how to manage, how to bring both sides together, how to get all these things done that folks should talk -- I mean, no one even wants to talk about Social Security, Jake, 23 percent cuts.
If you are a senior citizen, you are getting a 23 percent cut in benefits in eight years. That is reality. That is in the law. Someone has to stand up and fix that, right? And so I think there's a huge opportunity for someone to step forward and say, well, Social Security is the third rail of politics.
It is not. The third rail of politics. It is good government. And someone can bring viable opportunities and solutions to something like that, which in itself is as big of the debt ceiling crisis, not today, but eight years from now, it's really going to hit America hard.
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So, I got to tell you, the one thing I'm looking at is, where can I be most effective, in -- both in terms of making sure I can be a good governor?
I still have a 24/7 job. I'm one of the few people that I still very much focus on my state, and the state's in great shape, so that's good. Making sure that, when it comes to where I want to see the party go, these things that maybe I talk a little differently, I talk with a different approach.
I want more candidates to be empowered. Can I do that more effectively as a candidate? Can I do that more effectively as someone who's kind of traveling the country, maybe speaking a little more freely, kind of being that -- I don't like using the word referee, but kind of like a referee of the first-in-the-nation primary, making sure we're pulling the levers to narrow things down?
I just want what's best for the party. It doesn't have to be the Chris Sununu show all the time. It's just what's best. So, that's kind of what I'm narrowing down now. The money's been lined up. The support has been lined up. There's a pathway to win. All that -- all those boxes are checked. The family's on board, which is always a big one.
I just got to make sure it's right for the party and right for me.
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Oh, I mean, I think very soon. I don't do coy very well, so when I start doing something, I'm 120 percent in.
So, I think, pretty soon, we will make a decision, probably in the next week or two, and we will either be go or no-go.
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Thank you.
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