FACT CHECK: Sununu Has Time and Again Defended Trump’s Tariffs

MANCHESTER, N.H. — John Sununu has a record of defending Trump’s tariffs, as small businesses across New Hampshire are struggling with rising costs. Congressman Chris Pappas knows that Trump’s tariffs are a tax on hardworking Granite Staters — that’s why he is fighting to provide relief and protect the small businesses that power New Hampshire’s economy.

Get the facts on Sununu’s record of defending Trump’s tariffs: 

FACT: Sununu said he “completely” understands what Trump is trying to accomplish with his reckless tariff policy, and that Trump’s tariff taxes send an “important” message.

  • In March of 2026, Sununu appeared on WMUR’s CloseUp, and said — referring to Trump’s tariff taxes — “I completely understand what he’s trying to accomplish.”
  • Sununu said that Trump’s tariffs send an “important” message and that he supported the Trump Administration’s tariff policy. 

FACT: When asked about the impact of the tariffs on New Hampshire small businesses, Sununu downplayed the costs. 

  • When asked about the devastating cost of Trump’s tariff taxes, Sununu minimized the impact, saying that they “complicated things a little bit for New Hampshire businesses,” but that the cost was offset by Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, which made the tariffs’ impact “modest.”
  • The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Big Ugly Bill will, in fact, increase the budget deficit by $3.4 trillion over the next decade, in addition to slashing funding for Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs that millions of Americans rely on.

FACT: New Hampshire families are paying thousands more in additional costs as small businesses struggle with rising import prices. 

  • As of September 2026, New Hampshire families have paid, on average, more than $5,900 in additional costs under the Trump Administration — well above the national average of $4,700.
  • With the median emergency savings in the United States being $500, and one-third of Americans reporting having no emergency savings fund at all, this impact is devastating. 
  • New Hampshire small businesses that rely on importing Canadian goods are also struggling, watching prices go up and trying to figure out how much of the cost they can absorb before being forced to increase prices and pass some of the burden on to their consumers — or close their doors altogether. 

FACT: Pappas is fighting back with legislation to exempt small businesses from tariffs and refund costs already paid. 

  • In Congress, Pappas sponsored the CANADA Act, which would exempt small businesses from tariffs on Canadian goods, and fought to pass the bill through the House. 
  • Pappas’s Small Business RELIEF Act would exempt New Hampshire small businesses from global baseline and reciprocal tariffs, and issue refunds to those that have already paid more under Trump’s reckless trade war. 
  • In October, Pappas kicked off his FIGHT (Fighting Inflation, Gas prices, Health care cuts, and Trump’s Tariffs) Tour — a series of events, discussions, and visits across New Hampshire with Granite State business owners, seniors, and families paying more across the board because of the Trump-Sununu agenda. 

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