GOP governor Chris Sununu says Kamala Harris ‘definitely won the debate’ against Donald Trump

Chris Sununu said both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris struggled to connect empathetically with voters
GOP's Chris Sununu praised Kamala Harris' debate performance (Getty Images)
GOP's Chris Sununu praised Kamala Harris' debate performance (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: New Hampshire Republican Governor Chris Sununu said Vice President Kamala Harris has won debate against former president Donald Trump.

Sununu said Harris “definitely” emerged victorious, though he also noted both candidates struggled to connect empathetically with voters. 

Did Kamala Harris win the debate?

During his appearance on CNN on Wednesday morning, September 11, Chris Sununu commented on Kamala Harris' debate performance, calling it effective in keeping Donald Trump on the defensive.

“Oh, Kamala definitely won the debate,” Sununu told CNN.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 25: Chris Sununu speaks onstage at the 2023 TIME100 Summit at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 25, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME)
During his appearance on CNN Wednesday morning, Chris Sununu remarked on Kamala Harris' debate performance, calling it effective in keeping Donald Trump on the defensive (Getty Images for TIME)

“There’s no question about that. So the question is, what does it mean, right? And it’s not just, what does it mean to everybody? What’s going to do that 10 percent of swing voters?” he added.

The Harris campaign capitalized on Sununu’s comments by posting a video of him admitting that she won the debate.



 

The campaign shared the clip with a caption that read: “Who won the debate last night? GOP Gov. Sununu: Kamala Harris definitely won. There’s no question about that.”

Chris Sununu praises Kamala Harris' debate strategy

Despite his past criticism of Donald Trump, Chris Sununu praised Kamala Harris for her approach in the debate, stating that her strategy was well-executed.

“She kind of talked confidence in her answers, and then she took the last 30 seconds of almost every question and hit him with a personal attack, knowing that that would get under his skin,” Sununu said.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 22: U.S. President Donald Trump participates in the final presidential debate against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at Belmont University on October 22, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. This is the last debate between the two candidates before the election on November 3. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Despite his past criticism of Trump, Sununu praised Harris for her approach in the debate, stating that her strategy was well-executed (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

"It was a very effective measure, and I give her a lot of credit on that. It kept him on the defensive, to be sure, and it’s ultimately, definitely, stylistically, why she openly won the debate,” he added.

Although Sununu has backed Trump since former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley exited the GOP primary, he has not hesitated to voice his opinions about Trump’s debate performance, according to The Hill.

Chris Sununu mocks Trump for not focusing on ecomony 

Chris Sununu, who considered running for president himself, noted that Donald Trump missed opportunities to press Kamala Harris on significant issues such as the economy, The Hill noted. 

“He should have talked about price controls,” Sununu said, adding, “He should have talked about the cost of living more. I think he went like an hour not even talking about inflation, and those are real issues.”

There was clearly more peace during Trump’s presidency Sununu said.

(Photo by Sophie Park/Getty Images)
Sununu has backed Trump since former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley exited the GOP primary (Sophie /Getty Images)

"That is a strength that he has that he has not exploited in this campaign. There is chaos in Ukraine, chaos in Israel. You know, there’s a lot of pressure going on in Taiwan. Let’s not forget about that. Let’s not forget about Afghanistan,” he added.

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Trump said that the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 lets him reverse sanctions provisions for any foreign person
2026-10-17T15:29:56.000Z
Ilhan Omar has reportedly not been seen in public since Monday, October 12, when federal agents searched her Washington, DC, home
2026-10-17T08:03:31.000Z
Kristi Noem was appointed special envoy in March after her removal as HSS amid scrutiny of her leadership and Corey Lewandowski’s influence
2026-10-17T07:55:06.000Z
Trump revisited Barack Obama’s promise that Americans could keep their doctors under the Affordable Care Act during his rally in Dalton, Georgia
2026-10-17T06:49:31.000Z
DHS Secretary credited Trump’s border security policies for the decline, saying the latest figures reflected his efforts to strengthen enforcement
2026-10-17T06:28:54.000Z
The judge ruled that Brennan lacked standing to sue because he had not shown that officials were likely destroying records relevant to a potential defense
2026-10-17T06:00:57.000Z
Politico’s Daniel Lippman reported that a White House official told him Trump had privately said Zacharia 'had no talent and shouldn’t be on television'
2026-10-17T05:17:52.000Z
The Justice Department rejected the allegations, with spokesperson Emily Covington saying the defense team’s letter contained 'false allegations and inaccuracies'
2026-10-17T04:53:53.000Z
The sanctions pause has drawn attention because the proposed diesel deal could affect Ukraine’s position in its ongoing war with Russia
2026-10-17T04:19:38.000Z
Katie Zacharia's departure came hours after Trump revealed he had urged her to reconsider the role, citing intense media scrutiny
2026-10-17T04:12:00.000Z