Trump Shocker: Sununu Endorsed, MAGA Grassroots Rebel in NH Senate Showdown

Paul Riverbank, 2/2/2026Trump backs Sununu, sparking grassroots revolt in a fiercely unpredictable NH Senate showdown.

As for Sununu, he wasted little time in latching onto the moment. His gratitude—shared in a brief post to supporters, not unlike a quarterback high-fiving the team after a late touchdown—seemed both genuine and strategic. “I want to thank the President for his support and thank the thousands of Granite Staters who are supporting me.” The Sununu operation, already rolling ahead in fundraising and ahead in the polls, seemed to shift up a gear overnight. Establishment voices, including the Senate Leadership Fund and high-profile GOP senators, blasted out messages declaring the primary all but settled.

But anyone who knows politics in the Granite State can tell you—“all but settled” doesn’t mean settled at all. Especially not with Scott Brown in the picture. Brown, who’s been senator in Massachusetts, ambassador under Trump, and perennial New England candidate, is hardly one to fade away quietly. His argument is direct—let voters decide, not party brass or social media endorsements. There is, he suggests, a difference between serving the “America First” cause and using it as a campaign catchphrase. It’s a familiar refrain from Brown: beware politicians of convenience.

That message resonates with some of Trump’s loudest grassroots fans, for whom memories of past insults by the Sununu family, or their skepticism of Trumpism, remain sharply drawn. One prominent MAGA online group summed up the hurt feelings bluntly: “The Sununu family openly mocked, degraded, and worked against the America First movement.” If New Hampshire Republicans are unifying, they’re doing so with a fair bit of grumbling.

Even so, a poll out of the University of New Hampshire offers little suspense at first glance: Sununu leads Brown 48 to 25 among likely GOP primary voters. Not only that, but he’s raised more cash than Brown—by better than a two-to-one margin in the early months of the race. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, seeking a stable nominee in a must-win seat, has made its preference clear: Sununu is their man.

The family name, of course, doesn’t hurt. The Sununus are as woven into New Hampshire politics as autumn leaves and campaign signs. John’s father, the former governor with a sharp tongue and an even sharper mind, later worked in the White House. His brother Chris ran the state for four terms, winning — and sometimes feuding — with the national party.

Looking forward, whoever wins the Republican nod appears headed for a clash with Chris Pappas, the Democrat currently representing the state in Congress. Pappas commands a strong following in his own party and, if polling is to be believed, a modest edge over both potential GOP rivals—though Sununu closes the gap to five points, compared to Brown’s wider deficit. Notably, Pappas is drawing in more money, at least for now.

Why the fuss over a single Senate seat? Simple: with the Democratic incumbent, Jeanne Shaheen, stepping down, this is a rare open contest in a state that rewards local roots and fresh faces, sometimes in the same candidate. With the Senate majority hanging by a thread, New Hampshire’s odd-couple electorate—independent-minded yet perennially competitive—could easily tip the balance.

At this stage in the summer, endorsements like Trump’s may shuffle the deck, but in New Hampshire, history suggests that Granite Staters tend to make up their own minds—often late, often unpredictably. As the campaign signs multiply and the town hall meetings gather steam, expect more twists on the road ahead. National eyes are watching, yes, but the real drama is playing out in the town halls and diners where this family feud and political rivalry will finally be sorted.

Even in a year choked with storylines, this Senate race stands apart—not least because, for all the talk about party unity, the battle lines within New Hampshire’s GOP are anything but tidy.

It’s not every day Donald Trump throws his “complete and total endorsement” behind a New Hampshire Sununu. Yet that’s what happened this weekend, marking a curious about-face in one of 2024’s sharper Senate primaries. The former president, writing on social media with all-caps zeal, praised John E. Sununu as an “America First Patriot” just months after Sununu himself labeled Trump “a loser” in newspaper print. Political memory, as ever, proves short.As for Sununu, he wasted little time in latching onto the moment. His gratitude—shared in a brief post to supporters, not unlike a quarterback high-fiving the team after a late touchdown—seemed both genuine and strategic. “I want to thank the President for his support and thank the thousands of Granite Staters who are supporting me.” The Sununu operation, already rolling ahead in fundraising and ahead in the polls, seemed to shift up a gear overnight. Establishment voices, including the Senate Leadership Fund and high-profile GOP senators, blasted out messages declaring the primary all but settled.But anyone who knows politics in the Granite State can tell you—“all but settled” doesn’t mean settled at all. Especially not with Scott Brown in the picture. Brown, who’s been senator in Massachusetts, ambassador under Trump, and perennial New England candidate, is hardly one to fade away quietly. His argument is direct—let voters decide, not party brass or social media endorsements. There is, he suggests, a difference between serving the “America First” cause and using it as a campaign catchphrase. It’s a familiar refrain from Brown: beware politicians of convenience.That message resonates with some of Trump’s loudest grassroots fans, for whom memories of past insults by the Sununu family, or their skepticism of Trumpism, remain sharply drawn. One prominent MAGA online group summed up the hurt feelings bluntly: “The Sununu family openly mocked, degraded, and worked against the America First movement.” If New Hampshire Republicans are unifying, they’re doing so with a fair bit of grumbling.Even so, a poll out of the University of New Hampshire offers little suspense at first glance: Sununu leads Brown 48 to 25 among likely GOP primary voters. Not only that, but he’s raised more cash than Brown—by better than a two-to-one margin in the early months of the race. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, seeking a stable nominee in a must-win seat, has made its preference clear: Sununu is their man.The family name, of course, doesn’t hurt. The Sununus are as woven into New Hampshire politics as autumn leaves and campaign signs. John’s father, the former governor with a sharp tongue and an even sharper mind, later worked in the White House. His brother Chris ran the state for four terms, winning — and sometimes feuding — with the national party.Looking forward, whoever wins the Republican nod appears headed for a clash with Chris Pappas, the Democrat currently representing the state in Congress. Pappas commands a strong following in his own party and, if polling is to be believed, a modest edge over both potential GOP rivals—though Sununu closes the gap to five points, compared to Brown’s wider deficit. Notably, Pappas is drawing in more money, at least for now.Why the fuss over a single Senate seat? Simple: with the Democratic incumbent, Jeanne Shaheen, stepping down, this is a rare open contest in a state that rewards local roots and fresh faces, sometimes in the same candidate. With the Senate majority hanging by a thread, New Hampshire’s odd-couple electorate—independent-minded yet perennially competitive—could easily tip the balance.At this stage in the summer, endorsements like Trump’s may shuffle the deck, but in New Hampshire, history suggests that Granite Staters tend to make up their own minds—often late, often unpredictably. As the campaign signs multiply and the town hall meetings gather steam, expect more twists on the road ahead. National eyes are watching, yes, but the real drama is playing out in the town halls and diners where this family feud and political rivalry will finally be sorted.Even in a year choked with storylines, this Senate race stands apart—not least because, for all the talk about party unity, the battle lines within New Hampshire’s GOP are anything but tidy.