Trump Backs Former Critic—MAGA Base EXPLODES

President Trump just threw his full support behind a former critic in a must-win New Hampshire Senate race that could determine whether Republicans expand their majority or squander a golden opportunity to flip a purple seat.

Story Highlights

Trump endorses John E. Sununu for New Hampshire Senate despite Sununu calling Trump a “loser” and supporting Kasich and Haley in past campaigns
Pragmatic move aims to flip critical purple seat; Sununu leads GOP primary 48-25% over Scott Brown with massive fundraising advantage
MAGA base erupts over endorsement, calling it a “slap in face” while establishment celebrates unity for Senate majority expansion
General election remains competitive with Democrat Chris Pappas holding polling edge but vulnerable in flippable seat Republicans haven’t won since 2010

Trump’s Pragmatic Endorsement Shakes Up Primary

President Trump delivered his “Complete and Total Endorsement” to John E. Sununu in New Hampshire’s Republican Senate primary, calling the former senator an “America First Patriot” who will not let voters down. The endorsement marks a striking political calculation, as Sununu co-chaired John Kasich’s 2016 campaign against Trump, backed Nikki Haley in 2024, and penned an op-ed labeling Trump a “loser” before the 2024 New Hampshire primary. Trump won that primary by 11 points despite Sununu’s criticism. The move prioritizes winning a flippable seat over settling old scores, a decision that reveals Trump’s focus on expanding the GOP’s 53-47 Senate majority in the 2026 midterms.

Primary Battle Shows Clear Frontrunner

Sununu dominates the Republican primary field against Scott Brown, a former senator and Trump ambassador. A mid-January University of New Hampshire poll shows Sununu crushing Brown 48 percent to 25 percent among likely GOP voters. The fundraising gap tells the same story: Sununu raised $1.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 with $1.1 million cash on hand, while Brown managed only $347,000 raised with $907,000 banked. The National Republican Senatorial Committee backed Sununu immediately upon his October 2025 campaign launch, securing endorsements from most Republican senators and New Hampshire GOP leaders. After Trump’s endorsement, the Senate Leadership Fund declared the primary effectively over.

MAGA Backlash Exposes GOP Tensions

Trump’s endorsement triggered fierce backlash from segments of the MAGA base who view Sununu as insufficiently loyal to the America First movement. Grassroots activists called the endorsement a “slap in face” and vowed to intensify opposition despite Trump’s backing. Sununu’s record gives them ammunition: he criticized Trump’s 2020 election claims and comes from a political dynasty that includes his father, former Governor and Bush Chief of Staff John H. Sununu, and his brother Chris, the four-term New Hampshire governor who also criticized Trump before declining a Senate bid. This tension between establishment pragmatism and movement purity threatens party unity heading into a general election where every vote counts in this purple battleground.

General Election Remains Uphill Battle

The November general election presents serious challenges regardless of Trump’s primary intervention. Democrat Chris Pappas, the likely nominee and current congressman, outraised both Republicans combined with $2.3 million in the fourth quarter and $3.2 million cash on hand. Polling shows Pappas leading Sununu by five points and Brown by 10 points in head-to-head matchups, though a December NHJournal poll found Sununu performing better with a 42-36 percent edge over Pappas within the margin of error. Republicans haven’t won a New Hampshire Senate race since the 2010 Tea Party wave, and this seat has flipped parties twice this century. Sununu himself won it in 2002 but lost his 2008 rematch to Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, who still holds the seat today.

New Hampshire represents one of three key NRSC targets for 2026, alongside open seats in Michigan and Georgia where Republicans aim to challenge Senator Jon Ossoff. The race tests whether Trump’s endorsement power can overcome a candidate’s past apostasy when electoral pragmatism demands it. Sununu thanked Trump and New Hampshire voters, pledging to focus his campaign on jobs, the economy, and affordability issues that resonate with Granite State families. Brown vowed to continue his campaign despite the setback, emphasizing his priorities remain unchanged and his “mission is about you, not me.” With the September 2026 primary still months away and roughly 25 percent of general election voters undecided, this race will test whether conservative voters prioritize winning seats or punishing disloyalty—a choice that could determine Senate control for years to come.