Smith Tries and Fails to Dodge Fallout from Sununu’s Gridiron Trump Attack

Chris Sununu’s comments calling Donald Trump “f***ing crazy” have created chaos for the New Hampshire Republican Party — with candidates like Kevin Smith getting caught up in the controversy and failing to dodge the fallout from Sununu’s attacks. In an interview with Jack Heath this morning, Smith waffled when asked about the governor’s comments. Smith initially appeared to side with Trump, saying the language was “salty” and “it's probably not something I would do.” Smith then immediately backtracked, adding “but again, you know, the governor is the governor and he's going to, you know, play it the way he– he thinks, you know, the audience will like it, you know,” and that “you know, some people are going to take it as an affront, what he said. Some look at it as joking.” A spokesperson for Trump called Sununu’s comments “unfortunate” and the comments are rapidly reigniting divisions in the New Hampshire Republican Party that could have serious political consequences for the Republicans on the ballot in November. Just last month, Donald Trump’s disgraced advisor Corey Lewandowski said he was on a mission for Trump to recruit a Republican to primary Sununu, saying, “Gov. Sununu, in the president’s estimation, is someone who’s never been loyal to him. And, you know, the president really said it would be great if somebody would run against Chris Sununu.” When Lewandowski was later asked if Trump would endorse any of the Republicans in the Senate Primary, he said that even with Smith, Chuck Morse, and Don Bolduc in the race, he suggested that the field was not yet fully “developed” and that the former president tasked Lewandowski “to get a great candidate in the U.S. Senate race up here in New Hampshire.” While Kevin Smith tried and failed to dodge the fallout from Sununu’s comments, Morse and Bolduc have remained silent. It’s only a matter of time before they either pick a side, or fail to dodge the fallout too.