Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie files paperwork launching 2024 Republican presidential bid
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie filed paperwork Tuesday formally launching his bid for the Republican nomination for president after casting himself as the only candidate willing to directly take on former President Donald Trump.
Christie, who also ran for president in 2016, was set to announce his campaign later Tuesday at a town hall in the early-voting state of New Hampshire. After losing the nomination to Trump seven years ago, the former governor and federal prosecutor went on to become a close off-and-on adviser before breaking with the former president over his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election.
Christie enters a growing primary field that already includes Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. Former Vice President Mike Pence will be formally launching his own campaign in Iowa on Wednesday.
Christie, who during his time as New Jersey's governor established a reputation as a fighter with a knack for creating viral moments of confrontation, faces an uphill battle to the nomination in a party that remains closely aligned with the former president, despite Trump's reelection loss in 2020 and Republicans' poorer-than-expected showing in the 2022 midterm elections.
Christie has cast himself as the only person with the guts to take on Trump directly and has warned of a repeat of 2016 if candidates fail to confront him.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I바카라 게임 웹사이트m not dumb. The way to win is to beat the guy who바카라 게임 웹사이트s ahead. And so, what would a campaign look like? A campaign would look like a direct frontal challenge to Donald Trump trying to return to the presidency,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Christie in a podcast interview.
Anti-Trump Republicans are particularly eager to see Christie spar with Trump on a debate stage 바카라 게임 웹사이트 if, of course, Trump agrees to participate in primary debates and Christie meets the stringent fundraising criteria set by the Republican National Committee for participation.
But Christie has also said he would not run as a kamikaze candidate to take down Trump if he didn't believe there was a viable path to his own victory. 바카라 게임 웹사이트I바카라 게임 웹사이트m not a paid assassin,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he recently told Politico.
His campaign will test the appetite among Republican voters for someone who has expressed support for many of Trump's policies but has criticized the former president's conduct.
Christie has rejected Trump's lies that the 2020 election was stolen and has urged the party to move on or risk future losses.
Other Republicans with similar views, including former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, have opted against their own campaigns, expressing concerns that having more candidates in the race will only benefit Trump.
Christie was at one point seen as one of the Republican Party바카라 게임 웹사이트s brightest political stars as the popular Republican governor of a Democratic state. But despite persistent urging from top donors and party officials, he declined to run for president in 2012. By the time he announced in 2016, his reputation had been tarnished by the 바카라 게임 웹사이트Bridgegate바카라 게임 웹사이트 scandal in which aides were accused of wreaking traffic havoc in Fort Lee, New Jersey, in an apparent effort to punish the city바카라 게임 웹사이트s mayor for failing to endorse his reelection bid.
In the crowded 2016 GOP primary, Christie portrayed himself as a brash, tough-talking East Coaster who could 바카라 게임 웹사이트tell it like it is바카라 게임 웹사이트 바카라 게임 웹사이트 only to be eclipsed by the brasher Trump.
After hinging his 2016 campaign on New Hampshire, where he spent weeks holding dozens of town-hall events 바카라 게임 웹사이트 to the frustration of many New Jersey voters 바카라 게임 웹사이트 Christie ended up coming in a disappointing sixth in the state바카라 게임 웹사이트s primary. He dropped out shortly afterward.
Two weeks later, Christie stunned even some former aides when he endorsed Trump, becoming the first sitting governor and former rival to get behind the emerging GOP front-runner. His announcement undercut rival Marco Rubio at a crucial moment 바카라 게임 웹사이트 the day after a debate that had been seen as a possible turning point in the race 바카라 게임 웹사이트 helping to pave the way for Trump바카라 게임 웹사이트s nomination and eventual win.
바카라 게임 웹사이트The line of supporting Donald Trump starts behind me,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Christie has said.
The former governor, who has known Trump for nearly 20 years, has had a complicated friendship with the former developer and reality TV star. At times, he was one of Trump바카라 게임 웹사이트s closest advisers: He was on the shortlist to serve as Trump바카라 게임 웹사이트s vice president, oversaw Trump바카라 게임 웹사이트s early White House transition efforts, said he was offered 바카라 게임 웹사이트 and turned down 바카라 게임 웹사이트 multiple Cabinet positions, and helped Trump prepare for each of his general election debates in 2016 and 2020. (It was during those debate preparations that Christie believes he caught COVID-19, landing him in intensive care.)
But Christie also clashed with Trump at times and has described the former president바카라 게임 웹사이트s refusal to accept his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden as a breaking point. In appearances and interviews, Christie says he was 바카라 게임 웹사이트incredibly disappointed and disillusioned바카라 게임 웹사이트 by Trump바카라 게임 웹사이트s refusal to concede, which culminated in his followers바카라 게임 웹사이트 violent storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6 in an effort to halt the certification of Biden바카라 게임 웹사이트s win.
Christie has since become one of Trump바카라 게임 웹사이트s top Republican critics and argues the party must disavow Trump바카라 게임 웹사이트s false claims and move past his complaints to focus on the future 바카라 게임 웹사이트 or keep losing elections.
바카라 게임 웹사이트As Republicans, we need to free ourselves from the quicksand of endless grievances. We need to turn our attention to the future and quit wallowing in the past. We need to face the realities of the 2020 election and learn 바카라 게임 웹사이트 not hide 바카라 게임 웹사이트 from them,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he wrote in his book, 바카라 게임 웹사이트Republican Rescue." He called on the party to rid itself of conspiracy complaints and focus on providing voters with a positive alternative to Democratic policies.
Christie has also been open about his plans, saying since 2021 that he would run if he believed he could be elected.
바카라 게임 웹사이트If I see a pathway to winning, I바카라 게임 웹사이트ll run,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he told The Associated Press. 바카라 게임 웹사이트And I feel like I have the skills and the talent and the ability to be able to make a difference in our party and in the country.바카라 게임 웹사이트