Christie preparing a 2024 run as the guy who will attack Trump
Tough-talking Chris Christie is running again.
The former two-term governor of New Jersey, who is poised to enter the GOP presidential primary fray on Tuesday, is the most outspoken critic of front-runner Donald Trump in a field that has largely avoided direct attacks on the former president.
He faces an uphill climb, having dropped out after finishing sixth in the 2016 New Hampshire primary and currently polling at the bottom of the pack of contenders.
When Christie announced in 2015 that he was entering the 2016 primary, he did so in the gymnasium of his alma mater, Livingston High School, saying he could think of no better place to represent his roots. This time, he’ll announce from New Hampshire, where his last campaign ended, at a town hall meeting at Saint Anselm College, putting some distance between him and the home state that largely defined his first run.
Christie’s political capital soared during the first half of his governorship in the Garden State, as he ushered New Jersey through the devastation of Hurricane Sandy and became known for his many navy fleece jackets and bipartisan leadership in crisis. But he left office marred by the Bridgegate scandal and low approval ratings after he disengaged from state business during his bid for higher office.
When Christie dropped out in 2016, a lackluster ending to a once highly anticipated run, he transitioned to become an adviser to Trump, a longtime friend. Christie eventually broke with his former boss over Trump’s refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election and became among his most vocal critics.
Supporters and some political observers note that this race is different. Trump is a weaker target, facing multiple lawsuits and coming off a string of party losses — and Christie has far less to lose.
“I love it because he’s probably the only one who can go toe to toe with President Trump,” said New Jersey state Sen. Jon Bramnick, who supported Christie’s 2016 bid. “I feel like Clint Eastwood, ‘Make my Day.’”
Christie, 60, will enter the race with a super PAC set up by supporters called Tell It Like I Is, his 2016 slogan.
“Governor Christie has proven he’s unafraid to tell it like it is and is willing to confront the hard truths that currently threaten the future of the Republican Party,” said Brian Jones, the PAC’S executive director. “Now more than ever, we need leaders that have the courage to say not what we want to hear, but what we need to hear.”
Christie will join a field that, in addition to Trump, includes Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Desantis has polled the closest to Trump and raised $8 million off of a campaign launch earlier this month. He’s subtly amped up his criticism of Trump, though nothing compared with Christie, who has bluntly described the former president as “a child,” “a puppet of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin,” and “bad for the Republican Party.”
A crowded field would almost certainly benefit Trump, who has a hold on a contingent of MAGA faithfuls. Christie told Politico in an interview in April that going after Trump was different from being a “hired assassin,” saying he would drop out of the race if he didn’t see a path to victory.