New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu slammed Republicans and undeclared voters in his home state for “embarrassing” behavior at CNN’s town hall event with former President Donald Trump earlier this week. (You can watch his comments in the clip below)
Sununu, who is weighing whether to take on a 2024 presidential campaign, panned the crowd’s laughter and applause during the evening as he talked with MSNBC host Jen Psaki in a preview of an interview set to air Sunday.
“These are people in the audience from New Hampshire, Republicans in New Hampshire, undeclared voters in that room – I was curious just what your reaction was when they started laughing?” asked Psaki, a former White House press secretary under President Joe Biden.
“It was embarrassing,” Sununu replied.
Sununu claimed he “knew pretty much everybody” was a Trump supporter at the town hall before criticizing the crowd for laughing as the former president mocked E. Jean Carroll, who won a lawsuit against Trump after a jury found him liable for sexual abuse this week.
“I wasn’t surprised to hear the support but when you’re talking about a serious issue like that and laughter and mocking and all that, it’s completely inappropriate, without a doubt,” he said.
“It doesn’t shine a positive light on New Hampshire. But again, I understand what the audience makeup was.”
Sununu has been a harsh critic of Trump in recent months, declaring that the country is “moving on” and proclaiming that Trump isn’t going to be the 2024 Republican nominee for president.
The New Hampshire governor recently told Trump to “cowboy up” and “get in the saddle” after he reportedly is looking to skip out on at least one of the initial Republican debates.
Sununu, in his interview with Psaki, noted the possibility of audience members voting for him in 2016 or 2020, as well.
“Maybe they’re undeclared voters but I believe every single one of them had voted for Trump at some point,” he said.
“So no one should have been surprised to hear the support but again, on that issue, it was… I would call it embarrassing.”