Chris Christie vows to tackle Trump as he launches Republican major bid

Jun 07, 2023 at 12:36 AM

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie has filed paperwork formally launching his bid for the Republican nomination for US president after casting himself as the one candidate keen to instantly tackle former president Donald Trump.

Christie, who additionally ran for president in 2016, was set to announce his marketing campaign later at a city corridor within the early voting state of New Hampshire.

After shedding the nomination to Trump seven years in the past, the previous governor and federal prosecutor went on to turn into a detailed off-and-on adviser earlier than breaking with the previous president over his refusal to just accept the outcomes of the 2020 election.

Christie enters a rising major subject that already contains Trump, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and US Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina.

Former vice chairman Mike Pence might be formally launching his personal marketing campaign in Iowa on Wednesday (June 7).

Christie, who throughout his time as New Jersey’s governor established a status as a fighter with a knack for creating viral moments of confrontation, faces an uphill battle to the nomination in a celebration that continues to be carefully aligned with the previous president, regardless of Trump’s re-election loss in 2020 and the Republicans’ poorer-than-expected exhibiting within the 2022 midterm elections.

Christie has forged himself as the one individual with the heart to tackle Trump instantly and has warned of a repeat of 2016 if candidates fail to confront him.

“I’m not dumb. The way to win is to beat the guy who’s 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,” Christie lately mentioned in a podcast interview.

Anti-Trump Republicans are significantly desirous to see Christie spar with Trump on a debate stage – if, in fact, Trump agrees to take part in major debates and Christie meets the stringent fundraising standards set by the Republican National Committee for participation.

But Christie has additionally mentioned he wouldn’t run as a kamikaze candidate to take down Trump if he didn’t imagine there was a viable path to his personal victory.

“I’m not a paid assassin,” he lately advised Politico.

His marketing campaign will take a look at the urge for food amongst Republican voters for somebody who has expressed help for a lot of of Trump’s insurance policies, however has criticised the previous president’s conduct.

Christie has rejected Trump’s lies that the 2020 election was stolen and has urged the social gathering to maneuver on or danger future losses.

Other Republicans with related views, together with former Maryland governor Larry Hogan and New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu, have opted in opposition to their very own campaigns, expressing issues that having extra candidates within the race will solely profit Trump.

Christie was at one level seen as one of many social gathering’s brightest political stars as the favored Republican governor of a Democratic state.

But regardless of persistent urging from high donors and social gathering officers, he declined to run for president in 2012.

By the time he introduced in 2016, his status had been tarnished by the “Bridgegate” scandal during which aides have been accused of wreaking visitors havoc in Fort Lee, New Jersey, in an obvious effort to punish town’s mayor for failing to endorse his re-election bid.

In the crowded 2016 Republican major, Christie portrayed himself as a brash, tough-talking East Coaster who might “tell it like it is” – solely to be eclipsed by the brasher Trump.

After hinging his 2016 marketing campaign on New Hampshire, the place he spent weeks holding dozens of city corridor occasions – to the frustration of many New Jersey voters – Christie ended up coming in a disappointing sixth within the state’s major.

He dropped out shortly afterwards.

Two weeks later, Christie shocked even some former aides when he endorsed Trump, turning into the primary sitting governor and former rival to get behind the rising Republican front-runner.

His announcement undercut rival Marco Rubio at an important second – the day after a debate that had been seen as a attainable turning level within the race – serving to to pave the way in which for Trump’s nomination and eventual win.

“The line of supporting Donald Trump starts behind me,” Christie has mentioned.

The former governor, who has recognized Trump for almost 20 years, has had an advanced friendship with the previous developer and actuality TV star.

At occasions, he was considered one of Trump’s closest advisers: he was on the shortlist to function his vice chairman, oversaw his early White House transition efforts, mentioned he was supplied – and turned down – a number of cupboard positions, and helped Trump put together for every of his common election debates in 2016 and 2020.

It was throughout these debate preparations that Christie believes he caught Covid-19, touchdown him in intensive care.

But Christie additionally clashed with Trump at occasions and has described the previous president’s refusal to just accept his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden as a breaking level.

In appearances and interviews, Christie says he was “incredibly disappointed and disillusioned” by Trump’s refusal to concede, which culminated in his followers’ violent storming of the Capitol on January 6 in an effort to halt the certification of Biden’s win.

Christie has since turn into considered one of Trump’s high Republican critics and argues the social gathering should disavow Trump’s false claims and transfer previous his complaints to concentrate on the long run – or preserve shedding elections.

Christie has additionally been open about his plans, saying since 2021 that he would run if he believed he might be elected.

“If I see a pathway to winning, I’ll run,” he advised the Associated Press.

“And 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.”