(RepublicanPress.org) – As America enters the presidential primary season, several people remain on the Republican ticket. Leading the GOP pack is former President Donald Trump, followed by nearly-tied Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. The last two are entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. One notable person is now missing from the list.
What Happened?
On January 10, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced he was suspending his presidential campaign. According to average polling from that day on FiveThirtyEight, the candidate was pulling 3.6%, just shy of Ramaswamy. His departure happened just five days before the Iowa caucus. Axios reported that Christie made the announcement during a New Hampshire town hall. He explained his suspension, saying, “It’s clear to me tonight that there isn’t a path for me to win the nomination.” The former governor also promised to never “enable” Trump to reach the White House again.
Before the town hall, the former candidate shared some words about a couple of his then-GOP opponents. Christie predicted Haley would “get smoked” in the primary, stating “she’s not up to this.” He also said DeSantis called him, stating he was “petrified.” Christie has been the only candidate in the GOP to boldly speak out about Trump, his actions, policies, and the legal challenges surrounding him.
The former governor called some of his Republican colleagues out during his announcement, saying their “cowardice” and “ambition” had eliminated their “good judgment.” Regarding Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN) specifically, Christie said, “They know better.” He also declared that he would “rather lose by telling the truth” than by lying, adding the upcoming election is a “fight for the soul” of the Republican party and the country. According to People, he said he hopes the GOP will find a “new path” away from Trump.
Consequences and Moving Forward
It’s too soon to tell where Christie voters will turn now that the former governor dropped out of the race. According to CBS News, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R) recently told CNN that Christie’s presence in the race pulled votes away from Haley — the NH governor’s pick for president.
Christie stated just past week during a town hall that he would gladly step aside for “someone who is actually running against Donald Trump.” Considering he subsequently suspended his campaign, it’s unclear if he found that person. The former NJ governor hasn’t revealed who he will now back — if anyone.
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