- The Washington Times - Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says if former President Donald Trump lands the GOP nomination, he won’t vote for him in a rematch against President Biden.

Mr. Christie has emerged as the top critic of his former boss after his 2016 endorsement of Mr. Trump helped legitimize his candidacy.

Asked on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” whether he would back Mr. Trump against Mr. Biden, Mr. Christie said, “No.”

The former governor is betting on a strong showing in the Jan. 23 New Hampshire primary. Polls show he’s far behind the front-runner, Mr. Trump. Mr. Christie also is facing pressure to drop out of the race so former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley can close in on the former president.

Meanwhile, Mr. Christie hit Ms. Haley as being driven by political ambition, hence refusing to take a hard stand against Mr. Trump or answer whether she would serve as his vice president.

“What that tells you, and you guys know this, in politics when we won’t rule something out, that means we’re ruling it in,” Mr. Christie said. “So she doesn’t want to offend any people who are supporting Donald Trump right now.”

“That’s not the formula for beating Donald Trump in 2024,” he said.

• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.

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