(NewsNation) — New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu contends the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23 has become a “two-person race,” as former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is the sole challenger to former President Donald Trump.
Sununu suggests if Trump wasn’t afraid of Haley, he’d engage in debates and conversations with voters.
“If he wasn’t scared, why wouldn’t he get out? Get on the debate stage? Why wouldn’t he answer questions? Why wouldn’t he do retail politics? Why wouldn’t he talk to the voters? He’s not talking to any voters right now,” Sununu said. “He’s doing some ads. He’s doing a few rallies, he never takes a question from anyone other than his very strict, tiny world of the press figures that he’ll talk to.”
Sununu added: “Here in New Hampshire, all that momentum, all the retail politics, all the energy is behind Nikki Haley. She’s within single digits; it’s going to be hard to beat him — there’s no question about it. But the fact that it’s even possible gets people excited. What we were told couldn’t happen now really can happen. That’s why you see so many DeSantis and Trump voters coming back over to the Nikki Haley side.”
Sununu shares a sentiment similar to Haley. After she finished third at the Iowa caucuses on Monday, Haley claimed it was a two-person race between herself and Trump.
“The pundits will analyze the results from every angle. We get that. But when you look at how we’re doing in New Hampshire, in South Carolina, and beyond, I can safely say tonight, Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race!” she said.
Though Trump won the GOP caucus with 51% compared to Haley’s 19.1%, Haley has steadily gained on Trump where Independents can vote in the GOP primary. According to Decision Desk HQ, Trump is at 42% in New Hampshire and Haley is at 30.9%
Sununu asserts there’s only one debate left and it’s between Trump because “this is a one-on-one race.”
“If Trump wasn’t scared of her, he wouldn’t be attacking, he’d get on a debate stage; he’s weak. We want a strong candidate on the Republican side. Trump is showing a heck of a lot of weakness. They’re just trying to take the whole thing for granted,” he said.
Sununu said Haley needs to keep working to defeat her competitors in New Hampshire.
“She’s gonna do all this retail politics and connection with voters over the next seven days; Trump isn’t, he’s just not. So there’s going to be a huge contrast in terms of these campaigns A versus B, who’s taking digging New Hampshire for granted and who’s earning it on the ground,” he said.