(National Review) Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie dropped out of the 2024 Republican presidential primary Wednesday evening, ending his low-polling Granite State-based campaign ahead of the first nominating contests this month.
Christie told supporters gathered in Windham, N.H., on Wednesday evening that he joined the race with the goal of winning the nomination, defeating President Biden and restoring the Republican Party and the U.S. “to a new place of hope and optimism in this country.”
“I’ve always said that if there came a point in time in this race where I couldn’t see a path to accomplishing that goal, that I would get out,” Christie said. “And it’s clear to me tonight that there isn’t a path for me to win the nomination, which is why I’m suspending my campaign tonight for president of the United States.”
Christie went on to acknowledge that his announcement may come as a disappointment to those who have supported him, but added, “I also know, though, it’s the right thing for me to do because I want to promise you this: I’m going to make sure that in no way do I enable Donald Trump to ever be president of the United States again and that’s more important that my own personal ambition.”
Ahead of his town hall announcement, Christie appeared to rail against Nikki Haley’s chances of beating Trump in New Hampshire in an apparent hot mic moment before the livestream of his event shut off.
Speaking to reporters moments before his town hall was set to begin, Christie could be heard on a hot mic saying that the former South Carolina governor, who is expected to inherit Christie’s supporters, is “gonna get smoked” in the contest. Right before the livestream was cut off, Christie could be heard saying that DeSantis had called him recently and sounded “petrified.”
BREAKING: While waiting for Chris Christie announcement, he can be heard on a hot mic criticizing @NikkiHaley while talking to someone.
“She’s gonna get smoked,” he says. “You and I both know it, she’s not up to this.”
He also claims DeSantis called him, then feed is cut. pic.twitter.com/3Lrz2t6BQ8
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 10, 2024
The move comes hours after National Review reported on an intense pressure campaign by anti-Trump Republicans who have urged Christie to exit the race ahead of the New Hampshire primary to boost Nikki Haley, who has cut into frontrunner Donald Trump’s lead in recent polls. His decision came as a surprise to many of his own steering committee members, many of whom told National Review in the hours leading up to his announcement they had not been informed about his decision to bow out of the race.
NEW in @NRO: Rumors swirling in NH Christie will use Wed town hall in Windham to announce he’s dropping..
Christie campaign: “We have a public town-hall event in Windham so have invited our supporters. Hardly some sort of ‘huddle.’”
W/ @brittybernstein https://t.co/fiausaNhLZ
— Audrey Fahlberg (@AudreyFahlberg) January 10, 2024
Christie joined the race in June as the most vocal Trump critic in the Republican field. He called Trump a “lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog,” in his campaign announcement.
