- Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was caught on a hot mic shortly before his dramatic announcement that he would drop out of the 2024 presidential race
- Christie said of her rival Nikki Haley, “She's going to get smoked” and “She's not up to it.”
- He revealed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called him “petrified” and added that he believed former President Donald Trump would win the Iowa election
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was caught on the microphone talking trash about 2024 candidates Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the UN ambassador. Nikki Haley shortly before her exit from the presidential campaign on Wednesday evening.
At a town hall in New Hampshire, Christie told an audience that “I realize there is no path to the Republican nomination,” “which is why I am suspending my campaign for president of the United States.”
The livestream on his campaign website included a conversation Christie had backstage before his dramatic announcement.
Christie is heard commenting that Haley spent $68 million on her campaign while DeSantis spent $59 while the former New Jersey governor just spent $12 million, noting that he was the one , who “punched above her weight.”
“And she's getting smoked, and we both know it, she's not up to it,” Christie is heard saying about Haley.
He also revealed that DeSantis called him “petrified.”
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was caught on the microphone talking trash about 2024 candidates Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the UN ambassador. Nikki Haley shortly before her exit from the presidential campaign
Chris Christie is caught on a hot mic ahead of his expected announcement that he is dropping out of the presidential race:
He says Nikki Haley is getting “smoked” and a “petrified” Ron DeSantis called him. pic.twitter.com/fGOFEtVDHn
– The Recount (@therecount) January 10, 2024
Christie said that the former UN ambassador. Nikki Haley (left) “gets smoked” and “she's not up to it” and also told people backstage that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called him “petrified” as former President Donald Trump was about to is poised to win the Iowa caucuses on Monday
He then told a man that he was convinced former President Donald Trump would win Iowa, a state where DeSantis will need to perform well if he wants to stay in the race.
A man was heard telling Christie that Haley was 20 points behind Trump in New Hampshire, then asking the governor if he thought Trump would win Iowa.
“Yes,” Christie replied before revealing his phone conversation with the Florida governor.
The man then said he expected DeSantis to drop out of the 2024 race after Monday's Iowa caucuses.
The video clip is then edited out.
Then Christie appeared on stage in Windham, New Hampshire, and announced his presidential candidacy.
He averaged about 12 percent support in New Hampshire, ranking third behind Trump and Haley.
According to the Real Clear Politics polling average, Trump has 43 percent support in the Granite State and Haley has 29.3 percent.
He justified his presidential bid by becoming the front-runner against Trumpism, while Haley, DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy continued to say some positive things about the former commander in chief.
In Windham, Christie criticized the “smallness of campaigns that spend more time arguing and worrying about who should drop out of the race than they have spent chasing the front-runner.”
Christie concluded his remarks without endorsing any other candidate.
In 2016, Christie withdrew from the presidential campaign and endorsed Trump, a decision he now says he regrets.
DeSantis responded to Christie's heated moment on the microphone by taking the opportunity to go after Haley.
“I agree with Christie that Nikki Haley is 'going to get smoked,'” the Florida governor said posted on X.
Haley called Christie a “friend” in a statement following his campaign suspension.
“Chris Christie has been a friend for many years. “I commend him for a hard-fought campaign,” Haley said. “Voters have a clear choice in this election: the chaos and drama of the past or a new generation of conservative leadership. “I will fight to win every vote so that together we can build a strong and proud America.”
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who supports Haley, had urged Christie to drop out of the race to give the former South Carolina governor a clear path to becoming Trump's biggest nemesis.
Sununu has long said that once candidates know there is no path to the nomination, they should drop out so one of them can run against Trump, who is ahead by about 50 points nationally.
Chris Christie was caught on the hot mic saying Nikki Haley was getting “smoked” and calling Ron DeSantis “petrified” before announcing he was quitting