Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie officially entered the 2024 race for the White House on Tuesday, becoming the latest high-profile figure to take on former president Donald Trump as the field gets even more crowded.
Speaking at a town hall event at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, Christie cast himself as the only person in the Republican field that can take big swings at Trump.
“So that’s why I came back to Saint Anselm … to tell all of you that I intend to seek the Republican nomination for president of the United States in 2024 and I want your support,” he said.
“At every pivotal moment in our history, there was a choice between small and big — and America became the most different, the most successful, the most fabulous light for the rest of the world in history because we always picked big,” Christie added.
The former New Jersey governor spoke for 30 minutes and made sure to not guarantee success but vowed to always show his values and what he stands for.
“I can’t guarantee to you success in what I’m about to do, but I guarantee you that at the end of it, you will have no doubt in your mind who I am and what I stand for and whether I deserve it,” he said.
While Christie and Trump became allies, including helping the former president prepare for debates against Joe Biden in 2020, the two have recently had differences with Christie being a vocal critic of Trump. Despite the former president being the Republican front-runner in the polls, Christie has attacked him, saying he is not the future of the Republican Party.
Tuesday saw Christie slam Trump, previewing what a Christie campaign will look like in the coming months.
“The person I am talking about who is obsessed with the mirror? Who never admits a mistake? Who never admits a fault and will always find someone else — and something else — to blame for whatever goes wrong, but finds every reason to take credit for anything that goes right, is Donald Trump,” Christie said.
He then referred to Trump as a “bitter, angry man who wants power back for himself, not for you.”
Christie joins a crowded field that includes Trump, former Ambassador to the U.N. and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
