(NationRise.com) – Former Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie suspended his presidential campaign on January 10. The announcement was controversial, as he was also caught in a hot mic moment right before his speech, in which he blasted GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley and even said she would get “smoked” in the race.
Christie announced his decision during a town hall event in Windham, New Hampshire. He told attendees he decided to suspend the campaign as it was clear to him that he didn’t have a real chance of winning the nomination and representing the Republican Party in the 2024 presidential election.
Over the last few weeks, Christie received numerous calls from some anti-Trump Republican figures to end his presidential bid so Haley could have more chances to beat former President and presidential candidate Donald Trump. Haley, who was the United States Ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, has been increasing her popularity over the last few weeks and has even become Trump’s main rival to win the GOP’s nomination.
During his announcement, Christie also said that he knew he was disappointing many of his voters by suspending his campaign, as he knew there were many Americans who believed in his message. He added that his decision is the right one because preventing Trump from being president again is more important than his “personal ambitions.”
Ahead of his announcement, the former New Jersey Governor was heard on his microphone, without knowing it, claiming that Haley was going to get “smoked” by Trump, who remains the front-runner for the Republican nomination. He also said that she wasn’t “up for this.”
With Christie’s resignation, many believe that Haley could close the gap with Trump, which could increase her chances of winning the nomination, as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis remains with poor numbers. However, Trump’s popularity among Republican voters remains exceptionally high, despite the recent legal issues surrounding him over the last few months.
In addition to Trump, Haley, and DeSantis, the rest of the Republican candidates who are fighting for the nomination are entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, businessman Ryan Binkley, and former Alaska governor Asa Hutchinson.
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