to understand what is dividing Americans# politically has become even more urgent.

For her America at a Crossroads series,## Judy Woodruff turned to New Hampshire to look# at how a popular all out to persuade voters there to stop the# renomination of former President Donald Trump.

JUDY WOODRUFF: The big winner in Iowa's# GOP caucuses this week drew even bigger## cheers from his supporters, there and across# the country.

But among those Republicans who## don't want the former president back# in the White House, it brought dread.

GOV.

CHRIS SUNUNU (R-NH): OK, now we got a binary# choice, and with that one-on-one race going in... JUDY WOODRUFF: And a determination# to derail the Trump train.

GOV.

CHRIS SUNUNU: The only# candidate that has set the## expectations that he's absolutely# So , if he doesn't win one of these# states, that would be a massive upse I think a shocker and really# crack the national narrative,## if you will, that it's just Trump's# party and he's just going to win.

If she's Tom Brady, I'm Jerod Mayo.# I guess I'm the new guy on the scene.## I'm directing it a little bit, and# we're going to deliver a big win.

JUDY WOODRUFF: New Hampshire's four-term# Republican G himself into an effort to persuade# his constituents that the path to## heal the country's polarization and get# back to normalcy begins with defeating## Trump and handing a win to former# South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

GOV.

CHRIS SUNUNU: Nikki, this is Joe.

JUDY WOODRUFF: As a longtime Hampshire myself this week to listen to# voters and follow Governor Sununu around.

But thanks to a fall I took last# week, I can't travel for a while,## so I ended up speaking with the governor remotely.

GOV.

CHRIS SUNUNU: But you have got to# get behind somebody who can st uff done.

It's not who agrees with# you on pol of the policy.

But who can actually# achieve the goals?

Who can actually## secure the border?

Who can bring down# inflation?

Who can be fiscally responsible?

Trump didn't do any of that.

Nikki can# do it, right?

And so that's why I think## you're seeing her numbers surge more than any# other.

It's kind of like the empe clothes.

Once people realize it, they go,# oh, wait a minute, we have a choice here.

He flies in, tells everyone what he thinks,## and flies out.

That ain't campaigning.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And Governor Sununu argues that not## only is Haley better for the country;# Am erica is as divided as we have seen it in# a very long time.

Do you think this election## will make that worse or will have any effect# on the polarization?

How do you see that?

GOV.

CHRIS SUNUNU: If we elect the# wrong person, it gets worse.

And if## we elect the right person, it gets b it just gets -- it's like throwing gasoline on a# firework.

It's just going to get so much worse.

We have a packed house out here in Hollis.

JUDY WOODRUFF: That's a feeling voters# LO RRAINE ARBORE, New Hampshire Voter: I mean, he's# campaigning and back in court and campaigning.## But, I mean, what does that say about our# leadership, our morals, our integrity, our just... JIM TOLLNER, New Hampshire Voter: I think the# last few presidencies have done that all the## way back to Obama, you know?

And I think Trump# put a huge divide in the country just b rhetoric and the way he -- the lack of respect# that he has for people.

That's the divide.

MARK CROTEAU, Haley Campaign Volunteer:# People are afraid to put a lawn sign in## front of their house and so -- and publicly# declare that t Donald Trump.

People seem to be afraid# of that.

And I think we all know why.

JUDY WOODRUFF: How much genuine# support do you think there is out## there in the country and in your# state for former President Trump?

GOV.

CHRIS SUNUNU: The genuine support is# not strong.

It's that 35 percent th have always talked about, that really base voter,## 35 percent.

That is strong.

That's there.

An walls for the former president, because# they feel like he shares their an And that's all it is.

There's no policy connection# there.

It's anger.

It's frustration.

Most of t others are kind of -- they kind of go along# to get along a little bit.

They say, well,## he's going to be the guy, so we will just get# behind him.

We will get behind him be don't want to get pushed back on social# media or have to explain all this For some folks, it's just become the easier path.

NIKKI HALEY (R), Presidential Candidate:# We can't have world on fire and go through four more# ye JUDY WOODRUFF: In New Hampshire this week,## Haley continued to argue t NIKKI HALEY: But, rightly or wrongly,## chaos follows him.

You know# I'm right.

Chaos follows him.

GOV.

CHRIS SUNUNU: I mean,# she's all about small business.

JUDY WOODRUFF: A point that# resonated with at Trump supporter who heard Haley# for MICHAEL ELDRIDGE, New Hampshire Voter: I# ain't going to lie.

I have always been a Trump## supporter.

And what she's talking about, abo not so much on his part, because I# don't believe it's 100 percent him.

JUDY WOODRUFF: When you talk about# the things that he didn't get done## as being one of the main reasons you don't# support him, whe she talks about the chaos and# the destruction that follow him.

But my question is, to what extent is he# responsible for that chaos and destructio GOV.

CHRIS SUNUNU: Almost all of it,# I mean, pretty much all -- I mean,## all of it at its core, right?

I mean, let# th e chaos and all that is about January 6 and# election denial.

That's just a piece of it.

And those issues actually don't --# aren't really coming into the mind-set## of the voter.

Most Republican# primary voters don't consider the January 6 or the election denial --# regardless of what they think th ey're not voting on that.

But there# is chaos and disruption around him.

But that's the way he's been kind# of his whole life, right?

Now,## it got exacerbated as he hit the national# stage.

It got exacerbated frustrated with what he wasn't getting# done in Washington, D.C., the outburst,## the attacks on the media, the attacks on anybody# who was against him, as opposed to saying,## hey, we can disagree, but let's find a path# forward.

Let's find those pieces we agree on He didn't have those skills.

He lacks skills# of getting stuff done in the public sphere,## because you have to negotiate.

You have to work## with folks.

You have to find# some sort of c JUDY WOODRUFF: So, Governor, I hear you# saying that former President Tr do what he said he was going to do when he was in# office.

You have talked abou You have talked about -- you said a minute ago# he's not a Republican, he's not a conservative.

But you have also said you would support# him if he's the nominee of the party.

GOV.

CHRIS SUNUNU: Sure.

Yes, I mean,# because the alternative is Joe Biden.

Look, I'm -- what Biden has done, the# way he has let down both this country## and Democrats -- I have Democrats coming up# to me constantly that are completely let down## by Joe Biden.

And just understanding that# where Biden is today, with his age, right,# that's not a political hit, just physically,# does he have four more strong years in him?

Well, of course not.

Nobody believes that right# now.

There's a lot of things to consider in terms## of getting this country back on track and moving# forward.

I don't think either of them woul a fantastic job, but if I had to go with someone,# of course, we're going t because, fundamentally, I'm hoping# he surrounds himself with other good## Republicans that share a little more of my# ability and our necess I have no faith and Joe Biden has# proven no ability to manage his team.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And just to be clear,# your statement about President Trump,## if he's the nominee, even if he is convicted# of a felony between now and then, you... (CROSSTALK) likely not to be convicted of a felony.

Things# will be appealed.

This stuff My point in saying that, if anything, is, you# don't wait for a conviction to happen to stop## Donald Trump.

Don't wait for some external# factor to stop Donald Trump.

That's not## going to happen.

You beat him in the ballot# box.

That's how you -- quote -- "get rid of## Trump," if you think Trump's a threat or# you understand he's not a conservative.

For whatever reason, you don't want to# see Trump as the standard-bearer of the Republican Party anymore, it happens in# the ballot boxes.

democracy isn't just Donald Trump.

It's# people staying home, not participating,## believing that their vote doesn't matter, or# they don't have a choice or anything like that,## that everything's being run behind the curtain.

That's not the case.

Your vote matters.

Your## opportunity to participate matters.# And the more folks that co the more change that happens.

And that's what# everyone's looking for.

So let's make it ha JUDY WOODRUFF: That's what Governor Sununu# will continue to spend his energies on,## ahead of the primary on Tuesday.

For the "PBS NewsHour," and with reporting# from across the st I'm Judy Woodruff in Washington.