New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu on Thursday slammed two of his fellow governors, saying he got along well with many of the governors he worked with, with the exception of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Sununu was responding to a question from moderator Fred Ryan of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute (RISE) about the differences in how state governors and members of Congress work.
“I think most governors get along well,” Sununu said, adding that in his eight years in Concord he’d only encountered two outspoken Democrats who were annoying to him and his colleagues.
When Ryan asked if he could identify himself, Sununu agreed.
“Yeah, Andrew Cuomo is a complete idiot and nobody likes him,” Sununu said of the three-term scion of New York’s most famous political family.
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“Honestly, nobody cares about Gavin. Gavin is just a son of a bitch, excuse me, that’s what he is,” the four-term Republican continued.
Asked for comment, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi of Bulldog Strategies said, “We’re pleased that they feel the same way about each other.”
Sununu said he was disappointed by the apparent deterioration of his working relationship with Newsom, a California Democrat, who said at the forum that he used to get along with Newsom but that over time even Democrats had confided that they could not stand their colleague within their party.[T]They don’t say it out loud, but behind closed doors it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, look who’s coming.’ People roll their eyes.”
Sununu stressed that while he is a Republican, some of his favorite governors disagree with him on certain issues.
He singled out Oregon’s Democratic governor, Tina Kotek, whom he called his favorite governor on the West Coast.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek will speak at the signing ceremony on February 23rd. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
“Tina is the governor of Oregon. Tina and I may not agree on many political points, but she’s a wonderful person. I think she’s absolutely wonderful,” he said.
Another left-wing governor who many on the right don’t see as an ally is outgoing New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, he added.
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“Phil Murphy and I get on really well. He’s got a great sense of humor. Again, I don’t think he’s doing a great job as governor, and he’d probably say the same thing. [for] “That’s fine, but our approach will be different,” Sununu said.
“But we get on really well and the governors are a really good team. [working] “24/7. If there’s a shooting, if there’s a flood, if anything happens, my phone rings.”
Sununu said there is a stark contrast between the governor’s kindness and the “nonsense” in Washington, D.C.
“The Legislature has two jobs: approve or reject policy. And approve or reject funding. That’s it. The Legislature doesn’t design mental health systems. They don’t design systems to improve homeless services or integrate education. Or anything at all,” he said.
“I think every governor should be an engineer. I think every politician should be an engineer,” the governor joked. Gov. Sununu is an engineer by trade.
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Sununu slammed several right-wing lawmakers, including Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, suggesting she was a “fool.”
“The bills she has written so far are [passed] – or [GOP Florida Rep.] Matt Gaetz. They do nothing and raise tons of money not just for reelection but for extremist showmanship, but they don’t actually do anything to improve good governance and civic life.”
Sununu said when he considered running for Congress, he often wondered if he would get things done.
“I said, ‘Damn it, I don’t want anything to do with this,'” he joked, adding that many members of Congress aren’t interested in solving real problems like benefits.
“What’s going to happen in eight years? Social Security is going to be bankrupt. That’s a fact. And the law is already in place that some of the people in this room are looking forward to cutting Social Security benefits,” he said. “I think it’s 23 percent. That’s the law and that’s what’s happening. Benefits are going to be cut. Somebody’s got to fix this and stop this.”
Sununu has criticized right-wing Republicans in recent months, including former President Donald Trump, and notably endorsed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential primary.
Asked for comment, Gaetz said of Sununu, “Governor Sununu has been a failed surrogate for the even more failed Nikki Haley campaign, but I’ve worked to get 1,100 troops out of Niger.”
Newsom and Greene’s offices did not respond to requests for comment for this article.
