Gov. Chris Christie launches presidential bid with town hall

52
668

With a website that live-streamed a town hall in New Hampshire, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie came out of the gate on Tuesday as a candidate for president.

Christie formally declared his intention to seek the Republican nomination in 2024 on Tuesday. He joins one of the largest — and growing — rosters of GOP candidates in recent history and he made it clear he is not afraid taking on former President Donald J. Trump, who easily bested Christie in the 2016 primaries, when there were 17 major Republican candidates prior to the GOP nominating convention.

Christie criticized Trump for growing the national deficit by $3 trillion during his term in office, and for Trump’s excessive admiration of Russia President Vladimir Putin, who he called a thug. He also said President Joe Biden showed how weak he is when Biden said that a “small incursion” by Russia into Ukraine “wouldn’t be a problem.”

Christie spoke authoritatively about foreign policy and the war in Ukraine.

“This is a beginning of a hot proxy war between China and the United States,” Christie said.

He spoke at length about China’s various tentacles of aggression, saying “my concern about this is we’ve allowed them to have advantages. It needs to stop, in my opinion.”

“The reason I’m here tonight is because this is one of those moments,” Christie remarked, drawing the parallel between America’s history of freeing Europe starting on D-Day 79 years ago, and the current political landscape.

At 60 years old, Christie presents himself as the candidate most ready to challenge not only Trump, but also Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but polls put him at about 1%. DeSantis has consistently polled in second place for the Republican nomination.

Only about 2,000 people tuned in to watch it live on YouTube. Trump went to social media to make fun of Christie’s weight.

This is Christie’s second bid for president and he is clearly a long-shot in a field that already has several other long shots, including former Vice President Mike Pence, who filed his paperwork on Monday with the Federal Election Commission and is expected to roll out his campaign on Wednesday.

Others besides Trump who have formally declared are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, commentator Larry Elder, Dallas businessman Ryan Binkley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. In addition to Pence, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is also planning to announce this week, sources said. That makes 10 for the Republican side so far.

52 COMMENTS

      • Christie is so fat and out of shape he wouldn’t be able to slay a moving tortoise. Whidbey the Dog ………you should run for dog catcher. You might get a vote or two.

  1. I don’t understand why all of these long shots are throwing their hats in the ring, when they ought to figure out they don’t have a chance. If anything, they are doing the other side’s dirty work, arguing with each other and further mudding the waters. The democrats will just sit by with their popcorn and will enjoy the show, while these clowns tear each other apart.

    • Simple. They’ve all figured out that if a mentally deficient 80 year old criminal can win… maybe they can, too.

    • They figure Trump will be taken down by the multiple politically motivated criminal cases against him.

    • The top tier ones figure Trump will be taken down by the multiple politically motivated criminal cases against him. The lower tier ones are running for VP or maybe a cabinet seat.

    • The answer is they are being recruited by the GOPe. The hope is that with all of these losers in the race Trump will not be able to garner more than 50% of the vote by Super Tuesday. If they can keep Trump below 50% then DeSantis can stay in the fight while the others drop out.

  2. Despite the initial swipes at the Donald, I really don’t trust Mr. Christie to continue that line. I would not be surprised to see him shift his attacks to candidates other than Trump in an effort to help Trump and seek Trump’s favor. That is essentially what he did in 2016.

  3. Would’nt he better looking as a congressman or U.S Senator and more chance to win to work on turning his own state Redder and more Christian. By the way I been praying for New Jersey specifically for the New Jersey Christians that they will be in God’s Word and be effective sharing it and discipling their neighbors for personal reason that There someone I know there who needs Jesus. New Jersey Still needs him if he means what spoke.

    • “The woman who prays is the one who thinks that god has arranged matters all wrong, but who also thinks that she can instruct god how to put them right.”
      ― Christopher Hitchens, Mortality

  4. He needs lots of lunch money from donors.. So he can pay off cronies. Those kickbacks won’t pay themselves ,after all

  5. Hahaha remember Bridgegate? You’re going nowhere Christie NJ hates you and so does the Jersey Devil.

  6. Looks like Christie is giving his 10th Amway ponzi scheme spiel to a paid crowd of friends and family.

  7. Go stroll on a sandy beach with Obama! ? Maybe you both will figure out who’s gunna be the biggest crook?

  8. Other the Christy not having a snowballs chance in Hell to win , Mark R is spot on 100 percent right, he’s being pushed in by establishment republicans who for some stupid reason feel that more bad is good , they truly have lost their way in politics. Trump Owns the bulk of the party, and will until he passes the torch to someone like him, The Core of the GOP is done with cheesey milk Toast Candidates who will fight tooth and nail for the working people of this country , Chris Christie has been on the Government dole basicly his entire adult life, The Smart People see through all this and don’t want people who just are in it for the financial security that comes with life times in government . If the republicans Establishment helps in this witch-hunt against Trump in order to somehow Destroy him and his life ( which I don’t see happening) , they will be responsible for their own destruction , a new party will form. I have felt for decades now the only difference in a establishment Republican and a Democrat is the establishment Republican will steal from you when your backs turned , and a democrat will steal from you right in plain site and then turn around and try to convince everyone else that you did it! as for the Republican establishment, Trumps been the only one who they have ever went after this way, so that in itself proves he’s totally in their heads. , they certainly will not win with out him, and he’s holding all the Ace Cards, so they better sit down and learn something from this guy. And if the Voter fraud doesn’t get dealt with in these key states that have been cheating, it doesn’t matter who the republicans ever run , they will never win again anyways!

  9. In his announcement he praised Wilson, who started us on the path to socialism and was critical of Washington.

    And Jabba wants to be president?

  10. I wonder how this is going to work out with rank choice and all that. If he is fourth place he might have a shot for Alaskas three electoral votes…

    • There is no doubt that he is going to roll over the other candidates, flattening their leads and crushing the opposition. Kris Krispie is definitely a heavyweight candidate.

  11. There are many reasons losers like this run, and most have nothing to do with any real chance at winning. They get to live off these donations, and live well, over the course of the campaign. At the end, if they have money left, they can leverage it, and their support, for positions of power, in the public or private media. They get to build their brand off their donors money, and this can lead to appointments, media gigs, books, etc.

  12. The natural leader among men is Trump. He is well intended toward American and Constitutional interests. Other nations who aspire to implementation of a republic form of government will naturally work best, most directly with President Trump. There is, therefore, no need for any other conservative candidate. “Americans” who dislike America are therefore unqualified to lead this nation they don’t like.

  13. Christie is a monstrous blowhard. Will be fun to see him exchange belly-rubbing blows with Trump during the debates.

    • Christie is a big barf bag. Trump demolished him in 2016. He’ll do it again, before the debates even take place.

  14. It’s disappointing to see more than half of these comments are just insulting Chris Christie over his weight and almost no legitimate policy or ideology comments. Is this what Trump has given us? A Republican party that just wants to be a standup insult comic? Some folks may be right about this–the Republican party is dying and being replaced by the Trump party.

    • I’ll bite.

      Yes we make weight jokes about Christie because it’s easy. And what makes it easy is Christie’s lack of policy points. Want to argue Trump or even Bernie Sanders? Several policy stands come to mind for each one. But name a particular policy that comes to mind when you bring up Christie. Not much comes to mind, does it? So what does he think he’s bringing to this table?

      • Well, Christie does have the neocon foaming-at-the-mouth, Cheney-esque warmongering bit down pat. Which is of course only another reason to both mock and dismiss him.

  15. It’s so fun to watch the GOP eat itself. And judging by his looks, Christie has an enormous appetite.

  16. Christie is the male version of Liz Cheney. Full of BS, crazy, raging and a loser. Even Dick would agree.

  17. Paul in the Valley. I don’t think your point could have been stated any better. it’s unfortunate there are so many that just don’t understand politics. If anyone should be offended by being joked about it should be trump. But he just lets it roll off his chest and steams forward. Actually I’m sick and tired of all these people who think their feelings matter when It comes to politics, its a Dirty game and if you can’t play hard ball. You shouldn’t get involved in politics . Especially if you’re in the GOP. The Dems made this part of the business decades ago and unless you punch them in the face with truths . You’re gonna get a knife in the ribs. Christy made himself a laugh stock long ago and did it by being a self center Jack rear. He’s never done nothing really other then live off the dam taxpayers. He’s wasting his time in this battle!

    • In a different blog that I frequent, I have a tag line at the bottom of each post:

      “Life’s tough, wear a cup”

  18. Christie supports Trump. Why is he running but for the donations. Probably his motive.

Comments are closed.