John Sununu distances himself from Donald Trump in Senate race

Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Sununu is attempting to distance himself from President Donald Trump as he faces a difficult legislative election in New Hampshire. In a recent campaign announcement, Sununu addressed accusations from Democratic opponent Chris Pappas, claiming he does not personally know the president and will oppose any White House policies that harm his state.

Sununu cited his opposition to the war in Iran and the trade war with Canada as evidence of his political independence. This strategy follows a period of tension where Trump supported Sununu during the primaries despite Sununu’s history of criticizing the president. The move comes amid low approval ratings for Trump in New Hampshire, where a University of New Hampshire poll showed a 67% disapproval rating.

Separately, reports have highlighted Sununu’s legislative history regarding the USA Patriot Act. After voting for the act and blocking efforts to sunset bulk data collection provisions, Sununu later served as an honorary Co-Chair for the telecom lobbying group Broadband for America, receiving over $1.4 million for his role.