Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie told a New Hampshire audience this week that, unlike other potential 2024 presidential candidates, he’s not afraid to stand up to former President Donald Trump.
Speaking at St. Anselm College in Goffstown on Monday, Christie honed his credentials against Trump by referring to an interaction with Senator Marco Rubio during the February 2016 presidential debate.
When Rubio stumbled over the answer and repeated it twice, Christie said sarcastically.
Christie, who dropped out of the 2016 race a week after the debate and endorsed Trump, told the college audience: [Trump] Because what I did to Marco is the only way to beat Donald Trump.
“And that means you have to be fearless, because he’ll come back to you and be right back.”
Christie has other 2024 hopefuls, ex-UN ambassador Nikki Haley who declared her candidacy, prospective rivals Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence, denounce Trump. suggested that it lacks the backbone for
Christie said of his rivalry with Trump, “Because no matter what, it doesn’t end well.”
Despite Christie’s top score in the debate with Rubio, the former governor finished sixth in New Hampshire’s primary with just 7% of the vote.
Christie continued to advise Trump and served on the White House transition team until he was replaced by Pence.
The former New Jersey state government and Trump have clashed over the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol.
Since then, Christie has criticized the former president.
He knocked out Trump on Monday for telling voters in a recent speech that he would be their “retaliation” and accused the former president of leading Republicans into a “sinkhole of anger and retaliation.” .
“Donald Trump said a few weeks ago, ‘I’m your retribution.’ What do you guys think? Fine. No dice,” Christie said. “He doesn’t want to be my retribution. That’s ridiculous. He’s the only one he cares about.”
Audience member Saul Schreiber stood up to say he voted for Christie in 2016 and asked, “When are you going to beat Trump?”
Christie replied, “I have a schedule.”
Schreiber, 67, told the former governor he was disappointed that Christie endorsed Trump after he dropped out of the race.
Christie said it was a “mistake” he had and that he and other candidates at the time thought it would give them more chances to go one-on-one with Trump, but that the campaign failed as well. I made a mistake. Immediately.
“Nobody knew what kind of president he would really be,” the former governor said.
Schreiber replied, “I did.”
with post wire
