N.H. governor pushes Republicans to "not be afraid to attack" Trump

• "At a minimum, any candidate who does not make the stage for the first two debates must drop out," he wrote.
• Sununu, the governor of the first-in-the-nation primary, added that he will do "everything I can to help narrow the field."
• "I plan to endorse and campaign for the best alternative to Mr. Trump. As of now, it's anyone's for the taking."

The big picture: Sununu ruled out a presidential bid for himself in June, saying that he can have more influence on the race "untethered from the limitations of a presidential campaign."

• Sununu in the Monday op-ed also urged Republican candidates to "not be afraid to attack" former President Trump during Wednesday's debate, which Trump is expected to skip.
• "Tim Scott, Ron DeSantis, and Vivek Ramaswamy — candidates with compelling stories, records and polling — must show voters they are willing to take on Mr. Trump, show a spark, and not just defend him in absentia," Sununu wrote.

The other side: A memo from allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is trailing Trump in the polls, suggested a potential debate strategy of acting as the former president's defender if "[former Gov. Chris] Christie attacks him."

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