Christie: I Will Support DeSantis, Nikki Haley As Nominee

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday said he will support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley if it comes to either of the two.

According to him, they are both qualified to be president unlike former President Donald Trump, who he believes is “unfit” for the Oval office.

Christie’s remarks come during an appearance on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show where he was asked if he would support Trump as president if the GOP front runner does not get convicted on any of the 91 charges brought against him.

In response, Christie repeated his favorite talking point – that Trump is not fit to be president.

chris christie says ron desantis and nikki haley are both qualified to be potus but doesn't say trump is

via@filip_timotija @thehill https://t.co/bHMPZKWFpO

— Kevin Cirilli (@kevcirilli) January 4, 2024

“And if you’re unsure about that, all you have to do is listen to his interviews with you. And his interviews with you tell me that he is completely unfit to be president of the United States,” he said.

When asked about DeSantis and Haley’s eligibility for office, he responded in the affirmative, saying that he would support either of them as the Republican Party’s nominee, as he believes they are fit to hold the highest office.

Christie’s opposition to Trump has been consistent since he launched his presidential campaign last year. From suggesting the former president might get convicted and imprisoned to saying that he will “burn America to the ground,” Christie has not had good words for Trump, despite formerly being his ally.

However, his pledge of support for DeSantis and Haley was not exactly expected, given his refusal to drop out of the race to consolidate support for either of the two, whose support are considerably larger than his.

Most recently, he criticized her for her refusal to mention slavery as one of the causes of the Civil War. During an appearance on “The View,” he said that she was not a racist but knew what she was doing taking the controversial position. According to him, she was “trying to be something [she’s] not.”

Last month, he also slammed Haley for her refusal to be bold in her campaign against Trump, suggesting that she was trying to leave the door open to a vice presidential position beside the GOP front runner. Speaking on “The View” this week, he doubled down on that accusation, saying she would “eat glass” to be chosen as Trump’s running mate.

Christie has also criticized DeSantis, even going as far as mocking his performance at GOP debates.