NewsNation host Chris Cuomo pushed back on New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, saying GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley has been “kissing the ring.”
Sununu appeared on “Cuomo” to discuss his continuing support of Haley as she runs for the GOP nominee against former President Donald Trump. During the interview, Cuomo questioned the New Hampshire over comments Haley made Tuesday during a press conference, in which she stated she felt no need to “kiss the ring” as she continues to run for the position despite trailing behind Trump in two GOP primaries now. (RELATED: ‘People Aren’t Liking Her’: CNN Panel Roasts Nikki Haley After Speech Declaring She Won’t Drop Out)
“Let me push back on her own premise, ‘I’m not kissing the ring.’ I think she has been kissing the ring and it’s one thing to not do a lot of interviews – which has also been her decision which I don’t understand because I think she’s good in interviews – but she has been kissing the ring,” Cuomo said. “So how do you balance not pissing off the base in your party, by not going after things that she would certainly go against anybody who’s a Democrat and showing that she won’t kiss the ring?”
“Sorry, but how is she kissing the ring? She’s been tearing at Trump over the last month, absolutely pulling out his record every which way,” Sununu pushed back.
“She’s been saying more, but she is thoughtful and delicate in how she goes at Trump,” Cuomo responded. “She has not treated Trump, even the way she treated the guys on the debate stage, which I thought really helped distinguish her. You really believe she’s been taking it to Trump the way you would?”
“She doesn’t have to go the way I do it or the way other folks have done it, but two things: The way she’s run this race, guess what? She was the last one standing, she wiped everybody else out. So to criticize how she’s got about the races isn’t quite fair,” Sununu said. “Over the last month as it became a one-on-one race I think she really didn’t take it to him and I think Trump is furious with her. I think Trump expects the party to bow down.”
“And frankly, she hit it right on the head today as well,” Sununu continued. “The party bosses, these senators and governors, and all these folks that are surrounding themselves with Trump – privately, none of them respect Trump. None of them think he’s going to win solidly in November – they’re all scared about him, but they’re weak. They are weak and she is strong and she’s not going to bow down to it. That’s one of things I love about her. She’s gritty, she’s tough, she’s doing what Americans should do, which is fight to the end and not give up just because other people say you should give up.”
The New Hampshire governor continued to claim that the GOP was “virtually bankrupt” due to Trump being “at the top,” noting how the former president has spent millions on “legal fees.”
Haley held a press conference to vow that she would be staying within the 2024 GOP primary race despite trailing Trump by double digits in both of the Iowa and New Hampshire elections. As she has been preparing for the third election in South Carolina, which is notably her home state, Haley stated that she will continue to call out Trump without “fear” of his “retribution.”
“Many of the same politicians who now publicly embrace Trump privately dread him,” Haley stated to supporters. “They know what a disaster he’s been and will continue to be for our party. They’re just too afraid to say it out loud.”
“Well, I’m not afraid to say the hard truths out loud. I feel no need to kiss the ring. And I have no fear of Trump’s retribution. I’m not looking for anything from him,” Haley continued. “My own political future is of zero concern.”
Hypothetical polls from the South Carolina GOP primary have indicated that Trump will be expected to win the state by a significant margin. A recent poll conducted by Suffolk University/USA TODAY showed that out of 500 voters surveyed, 63% stated they would vote for Trump putting the former president in a roughly 28-point lead.