Gill: Desperate DeSantis Unsuccessfully Strives for Endorsement from Never-Trumper New Hampshire Gov, While Voters There Overwhelmingly Back Trump

The DeSantis campaign is in a tailspin, so now the Florida Governor is vying for an endorsement from Never-Trumper New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu. It’s a bizarre, desperate and inevitably doomed attempt to gain an edge in a state Trump is dominating by 40 points.

Today at a press conference in New England, DeSantis praised Sununu, a pro-mask mandate, anti-parent’s rights governor, who might not even support the Republican ticket if Trump is the nominee.

Sununu’s anti-Trump derangement is among the worst in the Republican Party. Earlier this year, some observers speculated he would even challenge President Trump for the party’s nomination. But in June, the governor squashed those rumors, saying he could most effectively hinder President Trump by backing another nominee. To him, the number one goal was stopping President Trump.

That’s why some candidates – first and foremost, DeSantis – are vying for Sununu’s support. They’re desperate to get a foothold in New Hampshire, an important swing state. However, New Hampshire is a state in which Trump is massively leading. According to the latest data from Emerson, President Trump is winning New Hampshire by 40 points, with Chris Christie in second at 9% and DeSantis coming in third.

The New Hampshire governor’s extreme Never-Trump-ism should be a red flag for primary voters. When asked last month if he would support a third party candidate over Trump (if Trump were the Republican nominee), Sununu refused to commit to supporting Trump. In effect, the New Hampshire governor would rather the 2024 Presidential election go to the radical left than support President Trump.

At other times, Sununu has expressed candid condescension for Trump-supporting Republican voters. In May, he called them “embarrassing” for supporting Trump in light of politically motivated accusations.

But Sununu’s contemptible view of the Republican base – a demographic DeSantis needs to win over – isn’t stopping the Florida governor from seeking Sununu’s support.

“I disagree with Donald Trump’s attacks on Gov. Chris Sununu,” DeSantis said. “I think New Hampshire is the best governed state in New England…. I must admit, we [in Florida] draw inspiration from the people here in New Hampshire.”

DeSantis’ support for Sununu comes across as particularly desperate given Sununu’s socially liberal governing history in New Hampshire.

For example, Sununu effectively killed a Parental Bill of Rights last year by threatening to veto the legislation. The Bill would have made it illegal for schools to secretly aid a student’s gender transition without telling the child’s parents.

Additionally, as early as 2018 Sununu was a leader forcing the radical transgender movement on America. He signed HB1319 into law, which promised legal immunity for men wanting to dominate women’s sports, share locker rooms with young girls, and steal women’s scholarships.

Shockingly, the New Hampshire governor also imposed a statewide mask mandate in November of 2020, long after the truth of covid’s threat had become apparent.

It’s bizarre DeSantis would go out of his way to get the New Hampshire governor’s support, given he’s taken the wrong side on so many major cultural issues.

But with his support crumbling daily, the Florida governor is increasingly desperate. Unfortunately for him, DeSantis is looking for help in the wrong place.