Christie says if mounting a third-party bid would assist Trump, 'then it is not the way forward'
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — who launched a bid for the Republican presidential nomination last year, failed to gain traction, and then ultimately dropped out before the Iowa GOP presidential caucuses earlier this year — seems to have indicated that he will not pursue a third-party White House bid.
The Washington Post reported that Christie and his team had probed the potential of a presidential bid connected with No Labels, but he ultimately determined that there was not a practical avenue to secure the win in the White House contest.
"I appreciate the encouragement I've gotten to pursue a third party candidacy. I believe we need a country that once again feels like everyone has a stake in what we're doing and leadership that strives to bring people together, instead of using anger to divide us," Christie noted in a statement. "While I believe this is a conversation that needs to be had with the American people, I also believe that if there is not a pathway to win and if my candidacy in any way, shape or form would help Donald Trump become president again, then it is not the way forward."
Christie has previously said that he will not vote for Trump and "can't see" himself voting for Biden. He participated in the GOP presidential primary debates last year, which Trump opted not to join.
It appears that former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden will face off against each other during the presidential election later this year, as both men have become the presumptive nominees of their respective parties. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent, will also be in the mix.
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Conservative Group Fights To Get Ballot Collection Off The Ground In Deep-Blue New Jersey
'I’m an old timer. I like to vote on Election Day. But we’ve got to fight the war that we’re in,' Spadea said.'Proud RINO' Adam Kinzinger says he would vote for Biden over Trump and hopes Nikki Haley wins New Hampshire GOP primary
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois said that if the presidential election is a race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, he would vote for Biden "in a heartbeat."
Kinzinger, a CNN senior political commentator and vocal Trump critic, said during an appearance on "The Source" that he believes in the U.S. more than he believes in the GOP, adding that he does not "really believe in the Republican Party at the moment."
While he had previously expressed support for Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor dropped out of the GOP presidential primary this week.
Kinzinger said that he hopes former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley will win the New Hampshire Republican primary and gain momentum.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has said the he does not "think any informed or knowledgeable libertarian or conservative should support Nikki Haley."
Kinzinger includes the phrase "Proud RINO" on his X profile, as well as the phrase "Slava Ukraini" and the American, Ukrainian, and Israeli flag emojis.
He was one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in the wake of the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. The Senate, which voted on the issue after Trump had already departed from office, failed to reach the threshold necessary to convict. Kinzinger was one of the two Republicans on the House select committee that was supposed to probe the Jan. 6 episode.
Adam Kinzinger says he'd vote for Biden if Trump is the nominee: \xc2\xa0\xe2\x80\x9cOver Donald Trump? In a\xc2\xa0heartbeat.\xc2\xa0To me, that's not even a question\xc2\xa0I would have to wrestle with. It's literally a decision\xc2\xa0at that moment between, \xe2\x80\x98Do you\xc2\xa0believe in a functioning\xc2\xa0democracy or do you not?\xe2\x80\x99"— (@)
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Hot mic catches Chris Christie giving his uncensored view of Nikki Haley's campaign — and Ron DeSantis agrees
Chris Christie was caught on a hot mic predicting that Nikki Haley will get "smoked" in the Republican presidential primary.
Just moments before Christie took the stage in New Hampshire to announce the end of his campaign, the event livestream caught Christie speaking with people offstage about the state of the Republican race.
"I mean, look, she spent $68 million so far, just on TV. Spent $68 million so far; $59 million by DeSantis. And we spent 12," Christie said. "I mean, who's punching above their weight and who's getting a return on their investment, you know? And she's going to get smoked. And you and I both know it. She's not up to this."
— (@)
Sources who spoke with NBC News confirmed something else Christie said in the clip: that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called him earlier in the day when he heard rumors that Christie was planning to suspend his campaign.
According to that source, DeSantis told Christie that he "appreciated" his role in the race despite his campaign ending prematurely.
Importantly, the source also said that Christie attacked Haley in that call. The former New Jersey governor reportedly called Haley a "joke" who is not up to the task of winning the Republican presidential nomination — let alone the presidency.
DeSantis, meanwhile, agreed with Christie's assessment that Haley is "going to get smoked."
— (@)
In recent weeks, a relationship between Christie and DeSantis has begun to bud, according to Politico — over their shared concern that Haley is a poor candidate.
Politico reported:
DeSantis and Christie have privately been talking by phone in recent weeks, and have discussed their mutual belief that Haley is a poor candidate. After Haley flubbed a question about the origins of the Civil War, Christie reached out to DeSantis to talk about it. They have also conversed about their shared view that Haley hasn’t given a direct answer on whether she is open to being Trump’s vice presidential pick.
If the polls are correct, Haley will indeed get "smoked." It is ironic, however, that Christie — whose campaign did not reach the first caucus or primary — made that prediction.
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Chris Christie drops out of GOP presidential primary
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropped out of the GOP presidential primary, announcing at an event on Wednesday that he is suspending his presidential campaign because he does not see a path to secure the nomination.
The move comes less than a week before the Iowa Republican presidential caucus, the first contest in the GOP presidential nominating process. The New Hampshire Republican presidential primary will take place later this month.
While Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has thrown his support behind former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's candidacy.
Christie was caught on a hot mic saying, in an apparent reference to Haley, that she will "get smoked" and is "not up to this."
— (@)
He has been a staunch critic of former President Donald Trump, who remains the clear frontrunner in the GOP presidential primary, polls indicate.
"I hear Chris Christie is dropping out of the race today — I might even get to like him again!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Anyway, he was just caught on a hot mic making a very truthful statement: 'She's gonna get smoked…You and I both know it, she's not up to this.'"
DeSantis declared in a tweet that he agreed that Haley will "get smoked."
"Chris Christie has been a friend for many years. I commend him on a hard-fought campaign. Voters have a clear choice in this election: the chaos and drama of the past or a new generation of conservative leadership. I will fight to earn every vote, so together we can build a strong and proud America," Haley tweeted.
DeSantis and Haley will face off in a CNN debate in Iowa on Wednesday night, while Trump, who also qualified for the debate, will do a Fox News town hall.
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