The 2024 election could see a contentious field of candidates for the GOP nomination, with several former Donald Trump allies now set to take the former president head-on. Here’s the latest candidate expected to announce a run in 2024.
What Happened: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis officially announced his 2024 presidential campaign last week.
Once an ally to Trump, DeSantis has now emerged as a significant foe, with a head-to-head matchup already marked by name-calling and accusations from both sides.
Another former Trump ally who worked with him previously is nearing a campaign announcement.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is set to announce his presidential campaign next week, according to a report from Axios.
Christie previously ran for president in the 2016 election. Christie received only 7.4% of the vote in the New Hampshire primary in the 2016 election and decided to suspend his campaign. Christie turned his support to Trump and was considered a potential vice president candidate.
Rumors of Christie running for president again have popped up, with a political action committee formed to help fund his campaign.
According to the report, Christie will run a national campaign and appeal to traditional Republicans. The keys to Christie's race, according to Axios, include maintaining a joyful demeanor, embodying authenticity, and executing a national campaign strategy.
Related Link: DeSantis Says He's More Liklye To Win The Election, Accuses Trump Of 'Moving To The Left'
Why It’s Important: Christie was a supporter of Trump after dropping out of the 2016 election. The former New Jersey governor was a part of Trump’s transition planning team in 2017 and was named the Chair of the Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission by Trump, a newly created role.
Christie also helped Trump prepare for debates ahead of the 2020 election against Biden.
In recent years, Christie has turned against Trump and now refers to him as a “coward” and “puppet of Putin.”
Christie recently said Trump is “afraid” of competition among Republican presidential candidates after reports that the former president does not want to do debates.
“He’s afraid to get on the stage against people who are serious. And I’m sorry to see that he’s afraid of it,” Christie said. “This is a guy who seems like he’s afraid. And if he’s afraid, he has no business being president.”
Should Christie announce his candidacy, it could intensify speculation about Trump's unease with debating fellow Republican contenders, potentially pressuring him to participate to dispel any notions of fear. This could be good news for video platform Rumble Inc RUM, which has the streaming rights to the first Republican presidential debate.
Christie also criticized Trump recently, saying his GOP nomination could be bad for the Republican Party.
“Donald Trump has done nothing but lose since he won the election in 2016. We lost the House in 2018. The Senate and the White House in 2020. We under-performed in 2022 and lost more governorships and another Senate seat.”
Trump has previously called out Christie for his criticism, and has often used nicknames and body-shaming while discussing the former New Jersey governor.
Betting odds for Christie are not currently listed, and it will be interesting to see where the former governor ranks among the odds and polls if an official announcement happens.
Christie would join a field of GOP candidates that have announced presidential bids that include Trump, DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Larry Elder, Asa Hutchinson and Tim Scott.
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