After participating in 335 Executive Council meetings and reviewing tens of thousands of state contracts, outgoing Gov. Chris Sununu knows a thing or two about conducting government oversight. And at his final post-Council press conference, he was willing to share some advice for people who might need it.
Including Elon Musk.
New Hampshire’s five-member Executive Council is a rarity in state governments, with the duty to serve as a fiscal watchdog on spending, approve the governor’s nominees for judgeships and commissions, and review contracts of $10,000 or more.
New Hampshire is the only state with such a governing body. Asked how he explains it to his fellow governors, Sununu — who served on the Executive Council before being elected governor — quoted former governor and U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg (R).
“He said, ‘Thanks to the Executive Council, we don’t have fiscal shenanigans.’ And we don’t. That just doesn’t happen here, because we have such an inherent checks and balances system,” Sununu said, adding: “Other governors are like, ‘I never want to give up the power,’ but it’s awesome.”
President Donald Trump has his own fiscal watchdog, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Asked what advice he had for DOGE leaders after 335 Executive Council meetings, Sununu said he’s already been in contact with the group.
“I haven’t talked to Elon or Ramaswamy, but I have talked to folks on the team. I did an op-ed last week. I think they’re going to come up with some really good ideas. I think they’re going to be big, big ideas,” Sununu said.
As for advice, “My very loud message is to encourage both President Trump and even Elon Musk — he’s a non-elected official with political capital — use it. You’ve got to use that (political capital). Walk into those congressional offices and work with them and find the bipartisanship.”
Sununu said it starts with a balanced budget for the federal government.
“People say it will never happen. Well, by definition, if it never happens, America defaults on its loans. That’s the math. Eventually, we will default. So it has to happen, or we’ll face hyperinflation and end up like these third-world countries.
“The moment of crisis is not far away,” Sununu added.
But how can DOGE or the Trump administration do big things when they can’t make small changes like eliminating the federal Department of Education? It’s a Trump proposal few observers believe can be achieved, and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said Friday that people who want to shut it down “have no idea what they’re talking about.”
Asked about her comment, Sununu shot back: “Sen. Shaheen doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She’s doing everything she can to preserve big government in Washington.”
Sununu insisted shutting down or drastically rolling back the federal Education Department should be doable.
“The Department of Education is just one of many that should be completely decentralized, sent back to the states,” Sununu said. “You can’t tell me the city of Washington, D.C., knows what is better for New York school children than the state of New York does.
“So give them the money and the regulatory control over those dollars, the flexibility to move dollars…because every state’s program is different. But when you tie it all up with bureaucrats in Washington, you have this massively bloated department. You could save a ton of money and still send the same dollars to the states, and it will still be used more efficiently.”
Sununu offered another lesson to political leaders from his experience: Don’t hide from the press.
“Why do you do this?” asked WMUR’s Adam Sexton regarding the governor’s post-Council meeting press availabilities. “A lot of your political counterparts would never entertain questions for this amount of time.”
“I do it because it helps me,” Sununu answered. “If you try to live in a bubble, then you’re always worried about coming out of the bubble. ‘What happens when I come out of the bubble? What happens when I do have to talk to the press?’
“I’m talking to you guys all the time. I think I was pretty open about going on radio shows or talking to you (reporters). But during COVID, obviously, was when the dam broke,” Sununu said. “I’m pretty proud to say, in eight years, I’ve never left a press conference with people still wanting more questions asked.”
None of the four members of New Hampshire’s federal delegation, including newly-elected Rep. Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), have held an open press event since the COVID pandemic. Neither did Democratic candidate for governor Joyce Craig during her unsuccessful 2024 campaign.
When it was pointed out to Sununu that Vice President Kamala Harris never held a single press conference during her entire time as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, he just shrugged.
“She’s yesterday’s news.”
What about incoming Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte? Should she follow his example regarding the media?
“I think she should engage with the press as much as she’s comfortable engaging with the press,” Sununu said.
Sununu’s final Executive Council meeting ended with kind words from Democrat Cinde Warmington and Republican Janet Stevens.
“During this meeting, someone texted me: six years on the council, this is meeting number 335,” Sununu said in response. “I love you guys, but I’m glad there is not a 336.”
