Sununu passes on 2024 to "have more credibility speaking out against Trump"

• Sununu said that if Trump is the Republican nominee, his party will lose. "This is indisputable, and I am not willing to let it happen without a fight," he wrote.
• "I believe I can have more influence on the future of the Republican Party and the 2024 nominating process not as a candidate but as the governor of the first-in-the-nation primary state," he wrote."
• "We must not be complacent, and candidates should not get into this race to further a vanity campaign, to sell books or to audition to serve as Donald Trump’s vice president," he wrote.

The big picture: Sununu called on candidates "with no path to victory" to exit the race by this winter if they are polling in the low single digits.

• "Too many other candidates who have entered this race are simply running to be Trump’s vice president," he wrote.
• "That’s not leadership; that’s weakness. Too many candidates are afraid to confront Trump, surrendering to his attacks."
• Sununu announced his decision on CNN.

Zoom out: Former Vice President Mike Pence filed paperwork Monday with the Federal Election Commission to launch his 2024 presidential bid as the crowded 2024 field continues to grow.

• Former Gov. Chris Christie is expected to announce his candidacy this week.