The publisher of New Hampshire’s largest newspaper, the Union Leader, issued an editorial Monday saying it was a mistake to endorse New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for president.
“Boy, were we wrong,” Union Leader Publisher Joseph McQuaid wrote in the piece, titled “Christie was our bad choice.”
Mr. McQuaid argued that his editorial staff endorsed Mr. Christie in November because they thought the governor “had the skills and experience the presidency needs” and also “had the best chance to take on and face down Donald Trump.”
“Watching Christie kiss the Donald’s ring this weekend — and make excuses for the man Christie himself had said was unfit for the presidency — demonstrated how wrong we were,” he wrote. “Rather than standing up to the bully, Christie bent his knee. In doing so, he rejected the very principles of his campaign that attracted our support.
“Voters here apparently knew better than we. Most rejected Christie but divided their votes among several others, leaving Trump to claim victory. And now, despite specifically telling us that he would never endorse him, Christie is backing Trump,” Mr. McQuaid concluded. “If nothing else, that might wake up some Trump fans. We will look for that, just as soon as we get the egg off our face.”
Mr. Christie, who dropped out of the presidential race on Feb. 10, dismissed the allegation that he went back on a promise by endorsing Mr. Trump.
“It’s just not true. [Mr. McQuaid] called me two days after the [New Hampshire] primary and said, ’I was just told that you’re about to endorse Donald Trump.’ And I said to him, ’That’s absolutely untrue. I’m not about to endorse anybody,’” Mr. Christie told ABC, Reuters reported.
Former Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul tweeted Tuesday that he would “un-suspend” his campaign if the Union Leader chose to endorse him instead.
“If they endorse me and declare a Do Over in New Hampshire I will un-suspend[.] Happy #SuperTuesday,” the Kentucky senator tweeted to his 816,000 followers.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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