MAGA Rebels Against Sununu—Trump’s Endorsement Sparks New Hampshire GOP War

Paul Riverbank, 2/2/2026Trump backs Sununu, sparking GOP turmoil as New Hampshire’s Senate race heats up.

Yet here we are, with Trump tossing his full-throated support behind Sununu on social media. He didn’t tiptoe, either. “John E. Sununu has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN — ELECT JOHN E. SUNUNU,” read the all-caps declaration, echoing off every digital wall. Not one to linger in the awkwardness, Sununu replied almost immediately. He thanked the former president and gave a respectful nod to his fellow Granite Staters, using the moment to boost his already well-funded and poll-leading campaign.

But New Hampshire turns on more than just star endorsements. Walk into any Manchester diner or pull up a stool in a Concord taproom, and you’ll pick up a local skepticism that can short-circuit outside expectations. Enter Scott Brown—a figure who’s been both inside and outside New England’s inner political circles, and who served as Trump’s ambassador to New Zealand, no less. Brown’s statement after Trump’s endorsement would have fit just as neatly in mid-century Yankee politics as it does today: “The people of New Hampshire are the ultimate authority on our future.” It sounded less like a concession and more like a warning shot.

Brown doesn’t stray from America First talking points, but he’s threading his own needle—one strand populist, another deeply personal. “I’m running to make sure our movement is led by someone who sees this not as a résumé builder, but as a calling rooted in a lifetime of service,” he told a gathering in Portsmouth last week, voice tired but steady.

Yet, those tuned-in to Trump’s local base are picking up anxiety beneath the public show of unity. It’s not so easily forgotten that the Sununu clan—whose fingers have steered New Hampshire’s rudder for decades—were among Trump’s loudest establishment critics back in 2016 and beyond. Skeptics multiply online, fueled by old slights. A post from a popular MAGA group this week flashed with frustration: “The Sununu family openly mocked...and worked against the policies that energized New Hampshire voters.”

The numbers, though, seem to favor Sununu, at least for the moment. According to a University of New Hampshire poll, he’s posting a significant advantage—sitting more than 20 points clear of Brown in the latest tallies among likely GOP voters. And while campaign war chests don’t cast ballots, Sununu has more than doubled Brown’s early fundraising totals. Party brass haven’t been coy, either; statements from the National Republican Senatorial Committee ring out as a de facto coronation. “John Sununu is the clear choice,” the posts read with a kind of finality.

Scroll back a generation or two and the Sununu name is everywhere in state governance—first with John H. Sununu, a former governor, then Chris, the current governor now four times elected. This dynasty story both anchors John E. Sununu and stirs distrust in some corners.

Looking over the fence to the Democrats, Chris Pappas stands ready. The four-term congressman has carved out his own base, built hefty campaign funds, and edges out either Republican in most current head-to-head polling. Against Sununu, the lead right now hovers around five points—a reminder that national attention isn’t misplaced here. At the close of last year, Pappas was out-raising both Republican rivals, a detail observers in D.C. are tracking closely.

The real reason all eyes keep swinging back to New Hampshire? Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s retirement has cracked the door for the first time in years. For a Republican Party desperate to expand its Senate majority, they see an opportunity that’s as tantalizing as it is uncertain. Michigan, Georgia—sure. But New Hampshire, with its fiercely independent streak, could break the Senate stalemate.

How this ride ends is anyone’s guess. Voters in these parts weigh local lineage heavily, but there’s always a hunger for fresh ideas, too. Trump’s endorsement lingers in headlines, true—but the real verdict will come from town meetings, from doorstep chats, from primary ballots cast in villages where politics remains personal.

Only one thing seems certain: in the months ahead, New Hampshire will become the beating heart of the national conversation about where power will settle in Washington next year.

An unpredictable current winds through New Hampshire politics. Suddenly, a new twist: Donald Trump, whose very name reshapes campaigns, has endorsed John E. Sununu for the open Senate seat. Anyone tracking the Granite State’s peculiar political rhythms might have raised an eyebrow—Sununu has long kept Trump at arm’s length, even labeling him “a loser” in plain text as recently as this year’s primary.Yet here we are, with Trump tossing his full-throated support behind Sununu on social media. He didn’t tiptoe, either. “John E. Sununu has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN — ELECT JOHN E. SUNUNU,” read the all-caps declaration, echoing off every digital wall. Not one to linger in the awkwardness, Sununu replied almost immediately. He thanked the former president and gave a respectful nod to his fellow Granite Staters, using the moment to boost his already well-funded and poll-leading campaign.But New Hampshire turns on more than just star endorsements. Walk into any Manchester diner or pull up a stool in a Concord taproom, and you’ll pick up a local skepticism that can short-circuit outside expectations. Enter Scott Brown—a figure who’s been both inside and outside New England’s inner political circles, and who served as Trump’s ambassador to New Zealand, no less. Brown’s statement after Trump’s endorsement would have fit just as neatly in mid-century Yankee politics as it does today: “The people of New Hampshire are the ultimate authority on our future.” It sounded less like a concession and more like a warning shot.Brown doesn’t stray from America First talking points, but he’s threading his own needle—one strand populist, another deeply personal. “I’m running to make sure our movement is led by someone who sees this not as a résumé builder, but as a calling rooted in a lifetime of service,” he told a gathering in Portsmouth last week, voice tired but steady.Yet, those tuned-in to Trump’s local base are picking up anxiety beneath the public show of unity. It’s not so easily forgotten that the Sununu clan—whose fingers have steered New Hampshire’s rudder for decades—were among Trump’s loudest establishment critics back in 2016 and beyond. Skeptics multiply online, fueled by old slights. A post from a popular MAGA group this week flashed with frustration: “The Sununu family openly mocked...and worked against the policies that energized New Hampshire voters.”The numbers, though, seem to favor Sununu, at least for the moment. According to a University of New Hampshire poll, he’s posting a significant advantage—sitting more than 20 points clear of Brown in the latest tallies among likely GOP voters. And while campaign war chests don’t cast ballots, Sununu has more than doubled Brown’s early fundraising totals. Party brass haven’t been coy, either; statements from the National Republican Senatorial Committee ring out as a de facto coronation. “John Sununu is the clear choice,” the posts read with a kind of finality.Scroll back a generation or two and the Sununu name is everywhere in state governance—first with John H. Sununu, a former governor, then Chris, the current governor now four times elected. This dynasty story both anchors John E. Sununu and stirs distrust in some corners.Looking over the fence to the Democrats, Chris Pappas stands ready. The four-term congressman has carved out his own base, built hefty campaign funds, and edges out either Republican in most current head-to-head polling. Against Sununu, the lead right now hovers around five points—a reminder that national attention isn’t misplaced here. At the close of last year, Pappas was out-raising both Republican rivals, a detail observers in D.C. are tracking closely.The real reason all eyes keep swinging back to New Hampshire? Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s retirement has cracked the door for the first time in years. For a Republican Party desperate to expand its Senate majority, they see an opportunity that’s as tantalizing as it is uncertain. Michigan, Georgia—sure. But New Hampshire, with its fiercely independent streak, could break the Senate stalemate.How this ride ends is anyone’s guess. Voters in these parts weigh local lineage heavily, but there’s always a hunger for fresh ideas, too. Trump’s endorsement lingers in headlines, true—but the real verdict will come from town meetings, from doorstep chats, from primary ballots cast in villages where politics remains personal.Only one thing seems certain: in the months ahead, New Hampshire will become the beating heart of the national conversation about where power will settle in Washington next year.