Former Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie is back, criticizing former President Trump and the Republican Party’s leaders in Congress for not doing enough “to push back against Donald Trump’s lies.”
In an exclusive interview with “Good Morning America,” Christie predicted that a second Trump term would be consumed by vengeance for perceived wrongs, both real and imagined. He added that the Trump White House would have difficulty finding anyone willing to work for the president besides the most obsequious loyalists.
Christie declined to apologize for his hot mic prediction about Nikki Haley getting “smoked” in the Republican Party presidential primaries, but he admitted it was a mistake. However, most newsworthy, the former New Jersey governor did not rule out a third-party presidential run on the No Labels ticket. “Oh, I don’t know,” he told George Stephanopoulos. “There’d be a long conversation between me and [my wife] Mary Pat, I can guarantee you that.”
Christie claimed that No Labels representatives have not yet contacted him, but NBC reported that the group made overtures to Christie’s allies when he was still a Republican presidential candidate.
Politico reports that the reason behind Christie’s newfound openness to a third-party bid is his belief that he could peel off a significant number of Republicans unhappy with Trump, unlike outgoing West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin:
Christie argued on Tuesday that a “strong Republican” on the ticket might be able to chip away at former President Donald Trump’s support, rather than siphon votes from President Joe Biden.
The former New Jersey governor, who had served as the GOP field’s most vocal Trump critic, warned in his first interview since suspending his campaign of the dangers of returning the former president to the White House for what Christie said would be a “vendetta” second term.
But Christie also declined to endorse Trump’s sole remaining Republican rival, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who he was caught trashing on a hot microphone minutes before leaving the race in January.
He said he spoke with Haley the next day in a cordial “45-second conversation” in which she mentioned the remarks and he did not apologize.
“She told me, ‘I know it’s a personal decision to get in a race, and it’s a tough decision to get out. I heard everything you said last night, including the hot mic.’ And I said, ‘Uh-huh.’ And she said, ‘Well, good luck.’ And I said, ‘Good luck to you,’” Christie remembered.
Despite her increased attacks on Trump, it remains unlikely that Christie will endorse Haley.
Besides Republican criticism, the interview also sparked backlash from liberal ideologues after Christie warned Democrats that they should not nominate Biden as he is “past his sell-by date.”
Watch the complete interview below:
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