Chris Christie is widely expected to make what is being described as a major announcement on Wednesday, at which he will formally suspend his presidential campaign.
Two sources close to Christie's campaign confirmed to Fox News Digital that the former two-term New Jersey governor, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination for the second time, is suspending his campaign.
Christie, who is considered the favorite to win the nomination in a race dominated by former President Donald Trump, has been gaining momentum in recent weeks from Republicans and some voters over rival Nikki Haley, who is seeking a runoff in the Republican Party. There have been growing calls for him to stop his efforts to provide the government with the necessary benefits. Gap with Trump.
Mr. Christie does not currently plan to announce support for anyone in the 2024 presidential race, according to people familiar with the matter. One of the people speculated that Mr. Christie would wait to announce his endorsement until after the results of next Monday's Iowa caucuses, the first contest on the Republican presidential nomination calendar.
Christie steps up attacks on Haley while closing the gap with Trump
2024 Republican presidential candidate and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie speaks with voters at City Hall in Hollis, New Hampshire on January 4, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Haley, a former two-term South Carolina governor who later served as U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration, has skyrocketed in recent months to become the former president's chief rival as he runs for a third straight term in the White House.
“I also said that I know when I'm not doing well,” Christie told reporters last week. “I dropped out after the New Hampshire primary eight years ago because I didn't do as well as I expected. It’s because of this.” I am not interested in this if it does not lead to success. That's the point. ”
The two latest polls of voters in New Hampshire's Republican presidential primary, released on Tuesday, both gave Christie an approval rating of 12%, leading her ahead of Trump and Haley. It is in 3rd place.
Christie, who is considered one of the Republican Party's best communicators and was once a strong ally of President Trump, has now become one of the former president's most vocal Republican critics.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks at City Hall in Londonderry, New Hampshire, on December 13, 2023. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Christie, who was first elected governor of Deep Blue New Jersey in 2009 and re-elected overwhelmingly in 2013, first ran for president in 2016.
He put all his chips into New Hampshire, but his 2016 campaign ended in a disappointing 6th place finish in the state. He fell far short of Trump, who dominated the primary race and propelled him toward the nomination and eventually the White House.
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Mr. Christie was the first of the other 2016 Republican candidates to endorse Mr. Trump, and for many years served as the then-president's top outside adviser and chaired Mr. Trump's key committee on opioids. However, the two sides had a falling out after Trump's failed attempt to defeat President Biden in the 2020 election.
On November 20, 2016, then-President-elect Donald Trump and then-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie met at the clubhouse of Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images)
Christie publicly considered running for president in 2024 for more than a year and a half before officially announcing his candidacy at an event in New Hampshire last June. As in the 2016 White House race, Mr. Christie once again placed most of his chips in the Granite State. Independent voters and moderates play an influential role in the state's prestigious presidential primaries.
The former governor, who, like Trump, is known for his skill at playing in-person politics, criticized his rival for not being more aggressive with Trump. And he claimed he was the only strong candidate who could defeat Trump on the debate stage. But the former president did not participate in the debate, denying Christie the chance to face Trump directly.
Mr. Christie becomes the latest Republican to drop out of the increasingly narrow field of Republican presidential candidates.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum ended the bid early last month. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott resigned in November. Former Vice President Mike Pence suspended his presidential campaign on Oct. 28 during a speech at the Republican Jewish Federation's annual leadership summit in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Four lesser-known candidates who failed to qualify for the Republican presidential debates have already suspended their campaigns. Former CIA spy and former Texas congressman Will Hurd; Miami, Florida Mayor Francis Suarez; business leader and quality control expert Perry Johnson; 2021 California gubernatorial recall candidate and former conservative talk radio host Larry Elder.
Another candidate, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, also remains in the race.
Get the latest on the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more with Fox News Digital's Election Hub.
