Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks at the the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., April 17, 2023. Christie saw his ratings surge following a joint appearance in the Garden State with President Barack Obama, although many Republicans were furious that he praised the Democratic president just days before the 2012 election. The high point came in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. To be sure, his polls were never solid, fluctuating from 52% during his first year in office to 15% at a low point in 2017. His reputation for bullying - remember the time he yelled at a voter on the New Jersey Boardwalk? – was counterbalanced by reports of his capacity to understand the details of public policy and to handle the responsibilities of executive leadership.

He seemed to be the kind of Republican who could appeal to both red and blue America as he focused on traditional Reagan-era issues such as deregulation, tax cuts and reduced social safety net spending, tending to avoid some of the most controversial topics that have animated the far right. There was a time when Christie, who served as governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018, was seen as one of the most formidable figures in the party and a likely presidential candidate who had a decent chance of winning. In some ways, Christie’s career reflects the character of the modern GOP. Meanwhile, Trump remains extremely popular in the GOP and Trumpism is the dominant ideological framework through which many, if not most, Republican voters see the world. Ron DeSantis, who was considered one of the most promising Republicans in the nation, has seen flagging poll numbers as Trump has started to unleash his attacks on the fellow Floridian.

Trump is the voice of the party, plain and simple. The problem is that, right now, the strategy won’t work. Opinion: If Biden’s so unpopular, why isn’t any Democrat posing a serious challenge? President Joe Biden speaks to the press before boarding Air Force One, as he departs for Northern Ireland, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on April 11. Mitt Romney, Christie is trying to claim the elusive #nevertrump lane among those who fear that the party is radicalizing itself to political self-destruction. Most members of his party either like Trump or are terrified of sticking their necks out to share what they think. And let me suggest to you that if we put him back in the White House, the reruns will be worse than the original show was.”Īlthough many observers would say that Christie’s decision to criticize Trump comes many years too late, he is still only one of a handful of Republicans who is willing to speak out against the former president. Christie also slammed Trump for allowing his “own little hurt feelings” to get ahead of the “interests of our democracy.” He put forth a barrage of criticism, highlighting the promises that Trump failed to fulfill and the “flat-out lies” that he told. Christie, who has been cautiously exploring the possibility of launching another presidential bid, appeared at a town hall in New Hampshire Thursday and warned that Trump should not be reelected because he’s a “failure in policy and a failure in character.”Ĭhristie didn’t stop there.

Joint base andrews