GOP governor opposes Trump’s pardon pledge. Those protesting January 6, saying ‘Oh my god, no!’

Governor Chris Sununu (R-NH) distanced himself from former President Donald Trump on Sunday morning, vehemently disagreeing with the disgraced former president’s pledge to pardon convicted rioters. sentencing January 6 if he returns to the White House in 2024.

“If I run and I win, we’ll treat those people fairly from January 6, we’ll treat them fairly, and if that requires a pardon, we’ll grant them a pardon. pardon them because they are being treated so unfairly,” Trump announced during a Saturday night protest in Texas.

While the remarks of the twice-impeached former president were quickly accepted by the far right, Sununu (who has made a niche for himself as a critic of MAGA) was repulsed against such rhetoric in an appearance on CNN State of the Union.

After the governor noted he was “criticizing both sides of the aisle,” anchor Dana Bash aired a clip of Trump’s rally remarks before asking Sununu for a response. Meanwhile, the Republican executive compared the ambitious violence at the US Capitol to the racial justice protests of the summer of 2020 — a conservatives’ favorite tactic.

“Look, those who took part in the riot and frankly, the attack on the US Capitol is responsible,” he said. “There is a rule of law. I don’t care if you are part of the burning cities and antifa in 2020 [or] You took the Capitol by storm in 2021, everyone needs to be held accountable. “

Pressed directly on whether he felt the Capitol rioters should be pardoned, the governor replied: “Of course not! Oh my gosh, no! ”

Bash then wonders if Sununu, who is seen by some as a potential GOP presidential candidate, wants Trump to support him in his re-election campaign for governor.

“I don’t need anyone to run with me,” he insists. “I strongly believe that as a candidate you have to stand on your own two feet, you have to look your compatriots in the eye and you have to earn their vote as you, not as a candidate. aggree. Validation is fine, and all that sort of thing. “

Sununu added: “But at the end of the day, I’m a big believer — whether you’re running for the planning board, governor or president, you have to look people in the eye and earn votes for yourself. vote”.