Chris Sununu faces backlash as he says removing Donald Trump from Maine ballot makes him a ‘martyr’

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE: New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu faced people’s wrath online as he claimed that taking Donald Trump off the Maine ballot does make the former president a martyr.

The 49-year-old governor was doing an interview on CNN’s 'State of the Union', when host Dana Bash asked, “Do you agree with some of the Republicans, even Chris Christie, for example, who argue that taking him off the ballot — or at least trying to — makes Donald Trump a martyr?”

To which, Sununu, a vocal critic of Trump since the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, replied, “Of course! Donald Trump has played this victim card wonderfully over the past year.”

“Nothing on policy, nothing on the future of America, but that victimization thing, which — the irony there is just incredible, frankly,” the governor added, according to Politico.

Sununu calls Maine’s decision politically motivated

During the interview, Sununu claimed that Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ decision to remove the 77-year-old front-runner for the GOP nomination from the ballot was politically motivated.

“Look, if there was any validity about keeping Trump off the ballot, you would see 48 other states trying to do the same,” he said.

“Personally, I think it’s very politically motivated by the Maine secretary of state. Trump should be on the ballot.”

“Everybody understands that. This is a politician who I think has political aspirations down the road and [is] trying to make a little bit of a name for herself,” Sununu added, according to NBC News.

As a result of his conduct connected to the attacks on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Bellows stated earlier that she would be removing the former president from the state's ballot. Maine is now the second state, after Colorado, to do so under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. 

Trump has vowed to challenge both rulings in court, which means the Supreme Court will probably hear the case.

Sununu, who has thrown his support behind former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, also expressed his hope that the Supreme Court will intervene and reverse the rulings in Maine and Colorado in order to "ensure Trump's candidacy in all 50 states".

“But, yes, this would only … boost his opportunity to play that victim card down the road as we hit the primaries. It’s not helpful at all, and I just don’t think it’s right. I think, again, the US Supreme Court will likely overturn both of these challenges, and we can all move on with him on the ballot on all 50 states," he said.

Internet reacts to Sununu’s remarks

Sununu’s remarks have garnered immense social media attention, with users blasting him for claiming that removing Trump from the ballot makes him a martyr.

“Trump was not removed from a ballot; he was not eligible to be put on that ballot,” one user slammed.

“Yambo is a bum!” a second user trolled.

“Sununu knows martyrdom is not on the ballot," the third user mocked while the fourth one wrote, “Doesn’t matter. The constitution demands it. I am sick of these worthless Republicans defending Trump."

“Why do you think they proposed and passed the 14th Amendment after the Civil War? Did it make for a wave of confederates as martyrs?” the fifth user noted.

“Every time Trump is held accountable his legion of minions treat him as a martyr,” one more said.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.