U.S. Senate candidate Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH) addresses the Nashua Rotary Club on Oct. 26. Cabinet photo by CHRISTOPHER ROBERSON

NASHUA – Unlike his Republican counterparts, U.S. Senate candidate Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH) vowed that if elected, he will not be intimidated by President Donald Trump.

“I will stand up to anyone, including this president,” he said while addressing the Nashua Rotary Club on Oct. 26.

Pappas said that while millions of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, Trump spends his time building monuments to himself, calling the affordability crisis a hoax and becoming $2 billion richer.

He also said Trump has awarded far too many pardons and that the presidential pardon power must be reformed. On the first day of his current term, Trump issued full pardons to 1,500 individuals who were previously convicted of storming the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021.

“The Founding Fathers would be apoplectic if they saw what was happening,” said Pappas. “We have a broken political system, we’ve got to do so much better as a country.”

Pappas also said the system of Checks and Balances must be restored, adding that the Trump Administration is required to provide updates on the War in Iran every 60 days. However, that has not been the case thus far.

“We need better oversight in Washington,” he said. “This war has got to end.”

In addition, Pappas said he would take on Big Pharma, Big Oil and the country’s insurance giants.

“People are being stretched to the max,” he said, adding that 17,000 Granite Staters lost their health insurance when the enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act expired on Dec. 31, 2025.

Regarding Social Security, Pappas said a bipartisan commission is needed to save the system from collapse.

“I don’t support cutting benefits for seniors,” said Pappas.

He said that during the early-1980s, the National Commission on Social Security Reform was established to solve similar problems. The commission’s report led to the Social Security Amendments of 1983, which was signed into law by then-President Reagan in April of that year.

Looking ahead, he said Congress needs to rollback the healthcare cuts, eliminate the tariffs and bolster the childcare system.

“Childcare should be a national priority,” said Pappas.

He said that even in the face of darkness, there is still hope, adding that all Americans ultimately want the same things.

“We are not hopelessly divided,” said Pappas.

As of Oct. 22, Pappas holds a seven percent lead over his opponent, former Republican U.S. Sen. John Sununu, according to the poll from St. Anselm College Survey Center.