NH Now: Chris Sununu 6-1-20

Governor Sununu’s Call to the Leaders of the Manchester, NH Protest of the Murder of George Floyd Eased a Tense Situation by Saying, “Your Message Is Important. It Has to be Heard. It Is Not a One-Day Message, and It Isn’t Just a One-Day Discussion. It Has to Be Ongoing, and It Has to Lead to Action in a Variety of Different Ways.”

In an interview with WKXL’s Chris Ryan, Governor Chris Sununu discusses how cities across the country are dealing with protests of the death of George Floyd, an African American who was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis. Some cities have had peaceful protests, while in other cities, the protests have turned into riots with looting, attacks on the police, and destruction of property. Governor Sununu gives background as to why the protests in Manchester were peaceful, and he gives much credit for deescalating the situation to Manchester Police Chief Carl Capano and his police officers. The Governor wants there to be a dialogue between law enforcement and the community which will develop better understanding. However, Governor Sununu is clear that his job is to protect the health and safety of our communities by coordinating the use of local and state police and the National Guard if necessary.

When he was asked if President Trump’s tweets and comments have fueled the protests, Governor Sununu said, “I don’t read the President’s tweets. I’m really not paying attention to the President in this right now. I’m focused on what’s happening in New Hampshire right now and across New England. This is not fake news.”

The final portion of the interview deals with the potential spread of COVID-19 while large groups of people are assembling for protests. The Governor is confident that there is enough testing materials and PPE-Personal Protection Equipment and systems in place to weather a possible increase Coronavirus cases.