'No way': CNN host shuts down GOP governor's claims that Trump will 'pivot' to moderation
April 05, 2024
Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH) has gone all in for former President Donald Trump following his defeat of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the GOP primary — but many of Haley's rank-and-file supporters appear unwilling to follow him, and President Joe Biden is trying to seize on this with a new volley of battleground state advertising.
On CNN Friday, in response to reports of how aggressively the Biden campaign is targeting disaffected Republicans, he told anchor Kate Bolduan that Trump would shortly "pivot" into a more inclusive campaign — and was met with laughter.
"Here are the states that... the Biden campaign is releasing these ads in," said Bolduan, indicating Arizona, Georgia, Michigan Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. "It highlights directly how Trump has said that he doesn't want the support of Haley voters... Biden needs some of them to help his chances in these, in these key states. You do not think they're going to buy what he's selling?"
"No, not what he's selling," said Sununu. "Look, if an individual wants to walk away from Trump and vote for Biden, they're going to make that decision in October, they're not making it in March, April, and May of this year. That's not going to happen. And a lot of things are going to change throughout the campaign. I do believe at some point, Trump will pivot. Not that he's going to come cater to Haley voters. He doesn't really need to do that, but I'll give it more to the general election type mentality that is independent—"
"Wait, no way," said Bolduan, bursting out in laugher. "Don't use the word 'pivot.' We did that since 2016, that he's going to pivot. It's not in his nature to pivot. There are certainties in politics. Donald Trump not pivoting is one of them."
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"But the message I, he, he went, look, you're absolutely right," stammered Sununu. "His brashness, his approach, and his style won't pivot, but his campaign, his messaging on that campaign will pivot to where it needs to be to, to minimize some of the effects that you saw in 2022, whether it be on a woman's right to chose or the abortion issue, which did not fare too well for Republicans — I'm not saying he's going to pivot his philosophy, but their approach and where they go after it, I absolutely believe that because it's the smart thing to do and he does want to win."
Sununu added that "a lot of the campaign is going to happen in the courtroom" where he "plays himself as the victim" and it boosts his polls among the Republican electorate.
"Believe me, most Republicans that vote in the Republican primary are going to end up voting for Donald Trump, because it's not about Trump," said Sununu. "It's about a Republican administration, it's about a GOP administration. It's about changing the political culture in Washington, and it's about the fact that Biden, while a lot of folks might have voted for him as this moderate, is clearly no moderate. He's clearly being controlled by these extremists. And that's driving a political culture that nobody wants to see an America. So that's where Biden is really blowing it. It isn't, we're all for Trump. It's, we want a political change and voting for him and that type of administration puts more opportunity in the seats of individuals or states or communities, as opposed to this one-size-fits-all, we're going to tell you how you should live your life mentality that the Democrats have been giving us."
Watch the video below or at this link.
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