Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called Donald Trump a “coward” Thursday for skipping out on the third Republican presidential candidates debate Wednesday night.
“He’s a coward and he’s always been a coward in this race,” Mr. Christie, a contender for the GOP nomination, said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. “He doesn’t want to defend his record.”
The former president skipped Wednesday’s debate in Miami to host a rally roughly 30 minutes away in Hialeah, Florida. He has skipped every GOP debate so far.
“If I were under four indictments in four different jurisdictions and out on bail in four jurisdictions, I wouldn’t want to get on a stage and answer questions about how in God’s name you’re going to be able to represent this party and be able to take on Joe Biden,” Mr. Christie said.
Mr. Christie said the results of Tuesday’s off-year elections show that those who have “the Trump imprimatur” can’t win in the United States.
“Daniel Cameron loses an election in Kentucky, in one of the reddest states in the country, because he sold his soul to Donald Trump,” Mr. Christie said of a GOP favorite who lost the Kentucky governor’s race to the Democratic incumbent after he was endorsed by Mr. Trump.
The former governor said he is the only GOP contender who will call out the former president.
“They’re unwilling to take him on. They’re all running for either vice president or a member of his Cabinet,” Mr. Christie said. “I’ve been offered spots in his Cabinet, I turned them all down. I have no interest in doing that. I want to be president of the United States.”
Polls have shown that Mr. Trump leads the other Republican candidates by wide margins and is outperforming President Biden in some states, meaning it’s likely he will be the party’s nominee.
A poll released last week by NBC News and the Des Moines Register showed Mr. Trump leading, with 43% support. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley tied for second, with 16% each. Sen. Tim Scott was in fourth, with 7%. Mr. Christie tied for fifth with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, with 4% each.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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