Governor Chris Sununu is taking criticism for saying he needs to get a "real job" after four terms in the position.

Speaking at Saint Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics before the New England Council, Sununu joked about being only one of two governors to serve four terms in office.

"Because we actually do our job, it's 24/7, its's wicked hard, and after a while it's like 'okay, enough is enough.' I'm not saying I'm not running again but, phew, I've gotta get a real job," Sununu said.

The New Hampshire Democratic Party jumped on the amount of time Sununu has spent out-of-state as he ponders a run for president.

“Chris Sununu doesn’t see being the governor of New Hampshire as a ‘real job,’ and it certainly shows. Since the beginning of 2023, he’s taken over ten out-of-state trips in an attempt to boost his national profile," party spokeswoman Monica Venzke said in a statement.

“He has never viewed being the governor as anything but a stepping stone. At every opportunity, Chris Sununu has left Granite Staters in the dust to build his celebrity status.”

Amplify New Hampshire Executive Director Craig Brown also disagreed with the governor's comment.

“Being governor is a real job. We Wish Chris Sununu would take that seriously," Brown said in an email.

Next Job at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

The governor didn't pick the speech to make an announcement. He reiterated his belief that former President Donald Trump will not drop out of the 2024 presidential race despite 34 indictments brought against him Tuesday in New York.

"It's not about whether he's guilty...we know he's not going to drop out. I think the Democrats have horribly misplayed this because they're just building a lot of sympathy for him, a lot of empathy," Sununu said. "The experts I'm hearing say getting a guilty conviction is going to be really, really hard to do."

He was also dubious about getting a jury for a possible Trump trial.

"Wait till they try to find 12 impartial individuals in New York City as a jury. Good luck with that," Sununu said to laughter.

If Sununu doesn't make a run of his own, the governor said he would back a candidate, and that governors make ideal candidates because they get things done.

Sununu also agreed with Gov. Chris Christie's assessment that anyone wanting to get in the 2024 presidential race has to decide by at least early June or early August at the latest. The first official debate of the campaign is scheduled for late August.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH

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