Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) announced during a town hall event on Wednesday that he would be dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
During a town hall event from Windham, New Hampshire, Christie said he was in the presidential race “to tell the truth” especially about former President Donald Trump.
During his speech, Christie spoke about the importance of the character of the candidate for president, saying that people “don’t know what’s going to come across the next president’s desk” while they are in office pointing to how former President George W. Bush handled the 9/11 terrorist attack.
“Campaigns are run to win, that’s why we do them,” Christie said.
He continued:
“I see the chairman here, in New Hampshire here he knows, we run campaigns to win. My goal has never been to be just a voice against the hate and the division and selfishness of what our party has become under Donald Trump. It’s also been to win the nomination and defeat Joe Biden and restore our party and our country 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 place a path to accomplishing that goal that I would get out. 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.”
Prior to the event, Christie was heard on a hot mic seeming to slam former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley saying she was going to “get smoked.”
“You and I both know it, she’s not up for this,” Christie can be heard telling someone, claiming that Haley had “spent $68 million so far just on TV.” Christie can also be heard saying he spoke to a “petrified” DeSantis.
Christie joins other Republican candidates such as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and former Vice President Mike Pence in dropping out of the race for the White House.
A recent poll by Morning Consult conducted between Jan. 5 and 7 showed Christie polling at 4%, with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy polling at 5%, Haley at 11%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 13%, and former Trump at 65%.
Similarly, a poll from YouGov/The Economist conducted between Dec. 31 and Jan. 2 showed Christie with 1%, Ramaswamy at 5%, Haley at 8%, DeSantis at 14%, and Trump at 63%.