It’s no secret: I’m not Donald Trump’s biggest fan. But Americans are begging for a change in Washington, D.C., and the options afforded in this election have made clear that will only come with a Republican administration.
I worked hard for Nikki Haley in the primary to move the Republican Party toward a new generation of leadership. I don’t take back a single thing I said about Trump and believe that American voters — especially independent voters, who will decide the outcome of the election — would have eagerly embraced that change. I get it: Trump’s rhetoric is harsh, distracting, and often counterproductive. Many want to move on. Had Haley won the Republican nomination, I believe this election would be a landslide in her favor.
But elections are about choices. And my choice is to support the Republican ticket that will deliver common-sense policies that provide real change and finally open up opportunities for American families.
When I talk to voters, their concerns are the sharp rises to the cost of living, the immigration crisis, and keeping our communities safe. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had four years to deliver. They failed. Hard-working Americans say they are worse off today than four years ago, and they deserve a new approach.
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We were told that under the Biden-Harris administration the world would be more stable. But from Afghanistan to Ukraine to Gaza, the world is in chaos. At home and abroad Americans find themselves living in a time when they are less certain than ever that the promise of a brighter tomorrow will come to fruition. The strength of this administration has been challenged and it has let us down time and again.
The Biden-Harris administration has never been forthright with the American people about the challenges so many are experiencing. They’ve said inflation is “transitory,” “Bidenomics is working” for the American people, and told us that what’s happening at the border “is not a crisis.” They’ve knowingly lied. And when an economic slowdown comes, it is a Republican ticket we will want at the helm to make tough decisions.
Remember: The power of the purse lies in Congress. We need good fiscal managers at every level — from the White House to the House of Representatives, all the way down to the local school board — to reign in out-of-control spending. It is Republicans who will balance budgets and oppose new taxes. Meanwhile, the vice president has proposed price controls.
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The vice president was recently asked what would be different about her presidency than that of Biden. “Not a thing that comes to mind,” was her response. And that is the problem. Millions of families, small-business owners, and hard-working Americans can’t afford a continuation of the same failed policies. While trying to pitch herself to voters as an agent of change, the vice president is the first to admit that nothing will in fact change. Say what you want about Trump, but the small-government mindset of his administration will cut through the Washington bureaucracy to actually get things done. It’s real change when Americans need it the most.
As governor, I’ve worked with both a Republican administration and a Democrat administration. Strip all politics from the picture, and the fundamental approach of the two could not be starker. In my experience, a Republican administration returns power to the states and to the voters, focusing on opening as many doors of opportunity as possible. Limited government and local control create opportunity for the individual, not the system. The Democrat administration thinks that one-size-fits-all government-driven “solutions” crafted by D.C. bureaucrats and lobbyists will somehow account for the needs of families in both Los Angeles and Yellow Springs, Ohio. It has proven to be a flawed and, frankly, un-American approach.
Some folks might have a different opinion. That’s OK. Everyone has the right to a different set of priorities. Vote for who you want to vote for, but vote.
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That’s what matters the most. No matter your political opinions, party affiliation, or who you cast your ballot for, what matters the most is that you exercise your right to vote. The greatest threat to democracy is when we don’t participate in it.
Whatever the results of the election, we should be confident that the sun will come up on Nov. 6. And on Jan. 20 when a new president is sworn into office, regardless of who that person is, each and every one of us should hope for their success. For them to be successful is for our country to be successful.
This campaign has been unsurprisingly vicious and personal. Both parties have lobbed attacks and used rhetoric that have raised the temperature too high. Like it or not, that’s politics. But let’s remember: When the dust settles, our shared focus must be on getting better results. The American people deserve nothing less.
Chris Sununu is the governor of New Hampshire.
