Republican governor insists Trump can’t beat Biden despite polling data

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said Sunday that Donald Trump cannot beat Joe Biden in 2024, despite apparent headwinds against the incumbent president.

Unlike other Republican heads of state in the traditionally Blue Northeast, Sununu has been open in his support for Trump throughout his rise to the presidency, including choosing not to issue a main challenge against him in 2020.

After Trump’s defeat that year and his baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud, Sununu began to speak out critically against the former president. In early 2022, he rescinded Trump’s promise to pardon participants in the Capitol riots if he regained the White House in 2024. This criticism would have infuriated Trump enough that he was looking for a potential challenger to run against Sununu in halfway.

Sununu has also frequently spoken out against Trump’s recent re-election bid, particularly after the former president’s negative influence was widely blamed for the GOP’s midterm underperformance in November. Sunday, while appearing on ABC News This weekthe New Hampshire governor has said he believes Trump cannot beat Biden in 2024, despite consistent polls suggesting Democrats are disappointed with the president.

“Unfortunately, in the end, November 22 showed us that,” Sununu said. “Trump is going to be seen as a very extreme candidate. The country is going to push him back. Just look at the results from three months ago, and it shows you where the extreme candidates will end up falling.”

He continued, “He could get the nomination, but he can’t, and what I’ve tried to espouse for every Republican is, listen, we want to vote for the most conservative candidate who can. win in november [of 2024]and get things done in 25.”

The topic came up during his appearance due to a poll recently released by ABC News and The Washington Postwhich found that while voters from both parties are disappointed by the prospect of Biden and Trump facing each other again in 2024, more Americans would react negatively to a Biden victory than to a Trump victory.

Biden has long faced a dwindling number of polls among voters in his own party, who have consistently expressed their desire not to seek re-election in 2024. Despite these trends in the polls, Biden has also been frequently praised for his achievements. during his tenure, including the passage of various high-profile stimulus and investment laws, and the historically strong job growth seen in recent economic reports.

Newsweek contacted Trump’s office for comment.