Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s allies have started a super PAC ahead of a likely 2024 bid for president.
The political action committee will be called Tell It Like It Is. It will be led by Brian Jones, who worked on the presidential campaigns of Sens. John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012, and by Bill Palatucci, a longtime adviser to Mr. Christie and a Republican National Committee member.
The formation of the super PAC was first reported Tuesday by The New York Times.
Mr. Christie has emerged as one of the biggest critics of former President Donald Trump after having endorsed him in the 2016 Republican primary and served on his transition team.
The former governor has his work cut out for him if he runs. A recent CNN poll shows Mr. Trump is the top choice of 53% of primary voters, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, at 26%. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence received 6%. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Mr. Christie pulled in 2%.
Mr. Christie has signaled he plans to take the fight to Mr. Trump. He flashed his debate chops in the 2016 primary after hitting Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida with memorable attacks.
He is making it clear he plans to do the same thing to Mr. Trump.
“You better have somebody on that stage who can do to him what I did to Marco, because that’s the only thing that’s gonna defeat Donald Trump,” Mr. Christie said in March at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College. “And that means you have to be fearless, because he will come back, and right at you.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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