At a GOP retreat in Tennessee last weekend, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu repeated his message that the GOP needs to improve its messaging to increase its appeal to more independent voters. And, he told attendees, he took that message to the leadership of Fox News, too.
An audio recording of his remarks was released to left-leaning news outlet National Public Radio by Lauren Windsor, whom the network describes as “a liberal activist and consultant.” Windsor acquired the audio from an attendee at the Republican National Committee event in Nashville.
In the audio, Sununu is heard reiterating his complaint that GOP messaging on cultural issues “ain’t makin’ the team bigger.”
“And unless we start breaking through the echo chamber — and I said this to the folks at Fox [News]… I talk to the leadership of Fox all the time. I go, ‘Look, guys, I saw a panel discussion with four panelists on Fox, and they all were literally agreeing with each other.
“They’re talking in an echo chamber. What are you doing to grow the team?’”
Sununu warned that if Republicans didn’t find a way to expand their appeal, “We’re going to lose. I want winners. As a famous former leader once said, ‘I don’t like losers. Losers lose,’” a dig at former president Donald Trump.
Sununu is a frequent guest on Fox News, appearing on the network Monday morning and making a similar point about GOP messaging on abortion.
“Remember ‘It’s a Wonderful Life?’ ‘Every time a bill rings, an angel gets his wings?’ Every time a Republican tries to talk about abortion, somebody goes to the Democrat Party,” Sununu said.
But he has also appeared on other news outlets as well, including CNN and the network Sunday news shows. Asked about his comments regarding Fox News, Sununu spokesperson Ben Vihstadt told NPR, “He was telling Republicans they should be going on other media channels, not just Fox. Republicans watch those channels, too.”
Sununu didn’t mince words about what he believed would be the future of the Republican Party if it didn’t change its ways.
“We can all try to convince ourselves that 2022 wasn’t so bad. But in 2022, we got our asses kicked! Let’s own that!
“And if we run in ’24 like we did in’22, it’s going to happen again. And we’ll all be sitting here going, “Oh, why did we lose?’ Because we did it the same way.”
