Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said in a new ad released Thursday that it was a mistake to endorse former president Donald Trump in 2016.
“I have an admission to make,” Christie says in the new one-minute spot.“Eight years ago, when I decided to endorse Donald Trump for president, I did it because he was winning, and I did it because I thought I could make him a better candidate and a better president.”
“Well, I was wrong. I made a mistake,” Christie says in the ad, “I Have an Admission to Make.”
In July, Vanity Fair asked Christie what his endorsement of Trump in 2016 said about his judgment.
“I’m not perfect. I can be wrong sometimes. I think everybody can,” Christie said at the time.
The former New Jersey governor also supported Trump’s reelection bid in 2020 and even helped him prepare for the debates.
Christie, a Trump ally-turned-critic who has focused his campaign solely on New Hampshire, is polling in third place in the Granite State at 10.5 percent, behind both Trump (46.3 percent) and Nikki Haley (24.8 percent), according to a RealClearPolitics polling average. But in a nationwide polling average, Christie sits in fifth place with just 3.3 percent support.
While some in the party have called on Christie to drop out of the race as to not steal support from a more formidable Trump alternative, the former New Jersey governor dismisses the idea of dropping out in the new ad, which is part of a seven-figure ad buy in the Granite State.
“Everyone says, ‘Anyone who’s behind him should drop out, and we should make our choice Donald Trump versus Joe Biden,’” Christie said. “Well, Joe Biden has had the wrong policies, and Donald Trump would sell the soul of this country. Neither choice is acceptable to me, and it shouldn’t be acceptable to you.”
On Thursday, conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt asked Christie, “Your staying in the primary undeniably helps Donald Trump get the election, doesn’t it?
“No, it doesn’t,” Christie claimed. “The fact is that we’re going out. We’re the only one running against Donald Trump. We’re the only one trying to beat Donald Trump. No one else in New Hampshire is trying to beat Donald Trump. We are, and so no, Hugh, I don’t think that’s true.”
Hewitt noted that NR’s Noah Rothman has said it is “undeniable” that Christie’s decision to remain in the race is hurting Haley’s odds of beating Trump. “I cannot understand what he is doing that is on the upside right now,” Rothman has said.
“Well, first of all, you know, Noah doesn’t have the first idea of what he’s talking about,” Christie replied. “The fact is that I’m running for president of the United States, and no one’s voted, yet. And I don’t have an obligation to do anything other than to answer questions, tell the truth, run a good campaign, and try to win. And so you know, where this has become Nikki Haley’s campaign when no one’s voted yet is kind of a mystery to me, Hugh.”
Hewitt continued to press Christie, saying, “If Nikki Haley loses New Hampshire by 5 percent, and you’ve got 10 percent or more, you will have elected Donald Trump president. Are you okay with that?”
“Well, first of all, I don’t think that anyone at this juncture, if you’re going to be a slave to these polls, Hugh, that have happened beforehand, the polls that if they were right, Hillary Clinton would be in her second term,” Christie said. “You know, if you’re going to be a slave to that, there’s nobody who’s within 5 percent of Donald Trump in any credible poll in New Hampshire at the moment.”
Meanwhile, Christie told Hewitt that he would “absolutely” support Haley or Florida governor Ron DeSantis if they were chosen at the Republican nominee, but once again affirmed his commitment to staying in the race.