He presents himself as the only candidate capable of standing up to Donald Trump. Republican Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey, announced on Tuesday June 6 that he would run for president in 2024, after registering his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
In 2016, Chris Christie had already sought the nomination during the Republican primary, before bowing and supporting Donald Trump. At the time, he had become one of his close advisers. But he says he broke with him when the tycoon refused to acknowledge his 2020 presidential defeat to Democrat Joe Biden.
If Chris Christie, 60, still very low in the polls, reserved a few salvoes on Tuesday for the current president - a man "overwhelmed by events" because "he is no longer who he was", said - he says in reference to his age -, he especially began to attack Donald Trump, favorite of the opinion polls, portraying him in front of his supporters as lonely, egocentric and dishonest.
Fighting style
The former Republican president "always finds someone or something to blame for what goes wrong, but always finds a way to take credit for whatever works," blasted Mr. Christie, known for his combative style, at a rally in the state of New Hampshire.
The former president "made us smaller by dividing us even more and pitting us against each other," he also said. Chris Christie also poked fun at what he called Donald Trump's failed promises, including his promise to build a wall along the entire southern border of the United States and make Mexico pay for it.
Chris Christie also suggested that the former president might be "afraid" to debate some of his Republican opponents. The first of these exchanges was scheduled for August 23, in Wisconsin. Mr. Trump hinted that he could skip at least one of the first two debates. "If he really cares about the country - and I have serious doubts about that - then he has to go, and he shouldn't be afraid," Mr. Christie also said on a radio show. .
An aggressive strategy assumed
The former governor also slammed Donald Trump over multiple investigations targeting him and called him "Putin's puppet" after the businessman's ambiguous remarks about the war in Ukraine.
The new candidate assumes this aggressive strategy. “The reason I go after Mr. Trump is twofold,” he explained: “One, he deserves it. And second, it's the way to win. »
The billionaire was quick to respond to the attacks, calling Chris Christie's speech "hard to watch" and "boring". "That's what you expect with a failed governor," he added.
Mr. Christie joins an already crowded arena of right-wing White House contenders, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and former Vice President Mike Pence, who is due to formalize his candidacy on Wednesday.
For Donald Trump, the proliferation of Republican candidates may prove to be good news: a primary with a dozen candidates, all anxious to block the way to the septuagenarian, may ultimately lead to a dispersion of votes, to his benefit.
