Despite less-than-optimal poll results, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie remains adamant in his race to the White House.
The presidential candidate launched a new advertisement on Sunday (Jan. 7) targeting independent voters in New Hampshire, with the supposed aim of contrasting himself from fellow candidate and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley without using her name as a bid to outperform her in the upcoming Republican Party primary.
The 30-second video titled "The Truth" was first shared to ABC News. It featured Christie assuring voters directly to the camera that he would tell them the truth, even if met with criticism, as opposed to tailoring his message to suit what he thought a certain crowd wanted.
"Even at times when you get booed for doing that, or when you get chastised for doing it, the truth is the one non-negotiable commodity," he was quoted saying in the ad. "We've got to stick with it."
Christie earlier described Haley as someone "blatantly pandering" for votes, calling her out for telling a New Hampshire audience that "Iowa started it" and "You correct it," which she later explained was a rhetorical jest.
Targeting the Independents
It was reported that the ad was part of a previously-announced seven-figure buy and within a series intended to target independent voters with blunt, direct-to-camera messages that would air this week on TV and digital platforms in New Hampshire, where Christie has been taking his chances.
A member of Christie's team told ABC News that the hopeful has been "willing to tell the truth regardless of what people may think," unlike Haley, who allegedly "refused to tell voters the truth" about former US President Donald Trump, himself a frontrunner for the GOP ticket.
The messaging came about after a voter interrupted Haley on Saturday (January 6) as she was wrapping up a town hall in Indianola, Iowa, to express disappointment that she had not taken on Trump more directly.
Another Iowan voter in Waukee also criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the past few days for not "[going] directly" after Trump.
Christie has also previously criticized Haley and DeSantis for not taking on Trump directly.
On the other hand, some Republicans and some New Hampshire voters suggested that Christie drop out to consolidate the yield against Trump, arguing that Christie's supporters could go over to Haley to beat Trump in the primary.
In a FiveThirtyEight poll, Trump remains in the top spot in the GOP race at 42%, with Haley (29%) in a distant second. Christie is averaging at around 11%.
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