Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced that he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race but vows to work to keep Donald Trump from winning.
The official's Wednesday announcement comes as his main competition for moderate votes in the New Hampshire primary, Nikki Haley, is poised to close the gap with the former president. He said that it was clear that there was no path for him to win the GOP nomination.
Chris Christie Drops Out of Presidential Race
Christie added that this was the reason that he had chosen to suspend his campaign for president of the United States. However, he noted that he will make sure that he will not let the Republican businessman become the president again, which he said is more important than his own personal ambition.
A source familiar with the campaign said that the former New Jersey governor is not expected to make any endorsement now. He speculated that the official may want to wait until after the Iowa caucuses on Monday before he makes any announcement in order to amplify its effect, as per NBC News.
A fundraiser for Christie said that she heard about the official's dropping out of the presidential raise from him himself. The individual said that they were very saddened by the development, noting that they wanted him to stay in the race. She added that he did not have any discussions with Haley about the matter.
Christie's decision to drop out of the race removes the most high-profile and consistent critic of the former president still in the Republican primary campaign. The former New Jersey governor weathered boos and catcalls at GOP debates when he maintained his stance of being against Trump.
With Christie's decision, support for Haley could also go up as she has also selectively criticized the former president. She has also been fighting for a similar group of moderate voters in New Hampshire.
Read Also : Nikki Haley Closes Gap With Donald Trump in New Hampshire Poll, Bringing Difference Down to Single Digits
Keeping Donald Trump From Winning the Presidency
The announcement of dropping out of the presidential race comes as Christie suffered another round of disappointing poll numbers, particularly in New Hampshire. He had hoped that a less conservative electorate in the state would coalesce around his sharp opposition to Trump, whom he described as "devoid of character," according to CNN.
Whether or not Christie himself will back Haley, whom most of his supporters listed as their alternative, remains to be seen. Prior to his announcement, slammed the former South Carolina governor repeatedly, suggesting that she was running to be Trump's vice president while looking for a promotion in 2028.
While Christie has already announced the end of his presidential campaign, his name will still remain on the New Hampshire ballot, where the primary will take place on Jan. 23. He added that anyone who does not admit that Trump is unfit to be president is unfit themselves to be the next leader of the nation.
In response to Christie's criticisms, Haley said that the former New Jersey governor had been a friend to her for many years and commended him "on a hard-fought campaign." In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that he agreed with Christie when the latter said that Haley would "get smoked" in the fight with Trump, said Yahoo News.
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