Sununu Shrugs Off Haley’s Civil War Gaffe As ‘Absolute Nonissue’ And Urges Christie to Drop Out So She Can Win Primary

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), who has endorsed Nikki Haley for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, shrugged off her controversial comments about the Civil War and urged former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to drop out to give her a clearer path to defeat former President Donald Trump and win his state’s primary.

Sununu was a guest on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday morning, and anchor Dana Bash asked him about the former South Carolina governor’s answer to a question about the cause of the Civil War, in which she initially did not mention slavery but then after intense and bipartisan backlash, walked that back.

Sununu called Haley’s comments “an absolute nonissue,” but did acknowledge it was a mistake that she “quickly cleared up.”

Bash also asked the governor about Christie’s criticism of Haley and whether he was acting as a potential spoiler. Sununu replied that Christie had “hit a ceiling” and hoped that he would “make the right decision eventually and ensure that this is a two-person race, where, if Trump can’t get 50 percent of the vote, which he cannot in New Hampshire, then he’s in trouble,” so that the GOP “can start moving forward as a party, bringing everyone together.”

Bash pushed back on Sununu’s comment that it was a two-person race, and he replied that there was “no doubt that, if Christie stays in the race, the risk is that he takes her margin of the win, right?” so he thought Christie was “going to make the right decision in the end…to make sure this party comes together,” because Haley was the “only person moving” in the polls against Trump.

If Christie dropped out, Sununu concluded, then “Nikki Haley can make up five or 10 points and kind of give Trump that defeat that no one thought was possible in the next few weeks. And I think that’s very likely to happen. So, again, I think the voters are going to come Nikki’s way. I think, ultimately, hopefully, Chris comes Nikki’s way. But that’s really a decision for Chris to make.”

Transcript of above video:

BASH: Let me ask you about what happened this week in your state, Nikki Haley coming under fire.

When she was asked about the cause of the Civil War, she talked about how government was going to run and the rights and freedoms of the people, did not mention slavery.

Yesterday, she said — quote — “Of course the first thing I should have said was slavery.”

Was her original response a mistake?

SUNUNU: Well, look, she cleared it up quickly, right? Obviously, if something needs to be cleared up a little bit, you wish you had said it a little differently the first time, but it was quickly cleared up.

It’s an absolute nonissue. She said, like you said, of course it was slavery. I think she was talking more to the freedoms and liberties that we want for every American and the lessons that come out of that going forward. So, yes, I think she just kind of skipped right over the obvious.

And, yes, I guess the press and folks wanted to hear her come back to the obvious on slavery. She cleared it right up and everyone’s moving on.

BASH: So, it was a mistake?

SUNUNU: Oh, look, yes — I mean, yes. If you have to clear up an answer, you go, gee, I guess I should have answered that differently. Let’s go clear it up, so, yes, sure.

BASH: Nikki Haley also walked a line on this issue when she was running for governor in 2010. We have seen some of her opponents bring this up, described the Civil War as two sides fighting for tradition and change.

She said she believed that states have the right to secede from the United States. You know your state in New Hampshire better than anyone. How do you think the people in New Hampshire react to views like this when they hear it from her opponents?

SUNUNU: Look, Nikki Haley is the first female minority governor in the country’s history. She’s the one that stood up and insisted, didn’t take compromises, insisted that the Confederate Flag get removed from the statehouse lawn.

I don’t think anyone’s questioning her credibility and credentials when it comes to race and equity and equality in this country. So, folks understand that. They know what she’s about. It’s a nonissue.

BASH: This is the way that one of her opponents, Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor, is saying on the ground in your state, as he criticizes her question — or her answer on the Civil War question.

He says that she’s trying to be everything to everybody. Listen to what he told voters in New Hampshire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FMR. GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She didn’t say what she said last night and today about this because she’s dumb. She’s not. She’s smart, and she knows better.

The reason she did it is just as bad, if not worse, and should get everybody concerned about her candidacy. She did it because she’s unwilling to offend anyone by telling the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: He says she’s slippery. What do you say in response?

SUNUNU: Yes, look, Chris Christie’s a friend, but his race is at an absolute dead end. He’s going to say anything he can.

This is a two-person race, right? It’s between Trump and Nikki Haley. Everybody understands that. He knows his voters, who want to see Trump defeated, are all coming over to Nikki Haley. In fact, the only person that wants Chris Christie to stay in the race is Donald Trump, right? I mean, think about the irony of that.

So the fact that Chris is out there trying to attack or trying to make ways, that’s not surprising. But, at the end of the day, this is a two-person race. And if — people are not just moving on from that issue. They’re really engaging with Nikki on where America goes, on what is about the future.

Chris is only talking about Trump. That’s it.

BASH: Well…

SUNUNU: That’s — he’s kind of a one-man show. And I know he says he wants to stay in the race to speak the truth about Trump, but that translating to votes in a primary is a very different thing.

And he’s hit a ceiling. And, right now, he probably won’t even get any delegates in the state of New Hampshire if the race were today. So, if Chris is true to his message about defeating Trump, he will understand that the voters are coming. I think he’s going to make the right decision eventually and ensure that this is a two-person race, where, if Trump can’t get 50 percent of the vote, which he cannot in New Hampshire, then he’s in trouble.

And, finally, we can start moving forward as a party, bringing everyone together.

BASH: Are you saying that he should drop out before the votes come?

Because, as — you say it’s a two-person race, but, of course, it’s not. And there’s a question about whether Nikki Haley can beat Trump if Christie is in the race.

SUNUNU: There’s no doubt that, if Christie stays in the race, the risk is that he takes her margin of the win, right?

And so I think Chris is going to make a quick calculation. He’s really — obviously really upset all the pro-Trump people, right? I think he’s a smart guy. He wants to have a voice in this party. He doesn’t want to go forward upsetting all the anti-Trump people too because he kind of overstayed his welcome, put his ego first.

So I just think he’s going to make the right decision in the end. He wants to make sure this party comes together. He — I think all these candidates know it’s always kind of a long shot. And at the end of the day, he’s — he’s — the only person moving is Nikki Haley. Chris Christie isn’t going to make up 30 points in the next three weeks, right?

Nikki Haley can make up five or 10 points and kind of give Trump that defeat that no one thought was possible in the next few weeks. And I think that’s very likely to happen. So, again, I think the voters are going to come Nikki’s way. I think, ultimately, hopefully, Chris comes Nikki’s way. But that’s really a decision for Chris to make.

BASH: Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, thank you so much. Again, happy new year.

SUNUNU: You bet. Happy new year.

Watch above via CNN.

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