Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie caught the attention of viewers during a commercial break at the fourth Republican primary debate and Megyn Kelly pulled back the curtain on what happened.
The 2024 GOP contender was seen in a video clip heatedly speaking with Kelly and Washington Free Beacon’s Eliana Johnson who were moderators for the event in Alabama this week.
The exchange happened after Christie locked horns with GOP rival Vivek Ramaswamy for his repeated digs at former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. As the debate took a commercial break, a camera caught a few seconds of an angry-looking Christie at the moderators’ table.
Chris Christie appears to go and complain to Megyn Kelly after intense yelling match with Vivek over Nikki Haley. #GOPDebate pic.twitter.com/uYnPZuzysp
— Noah Griffith (@Noah_Griffith_) December 7, 2023
Though it was not known at the time what he was speaking to the women about, Kelly dished on the details during her show on Thursday.
“He was pissed off,” the host of “The Megyn Kelly Show” said.
“He was mad that he wasn’t getting enough questions. And he said, ‘I made it up at this stage, and I haven’t been able to speak in awhile. And I should have been brought in on that last debate,’” she recounted.
“I said, ‘We’re coming to you. You’re going to be happy in the second hour,’ which I lived up to,” Kelly continued.
She explained that during the first half of the debate, the “even distribution of questions got mucked up from all the arguing” among the candidates.
“We let them fight in the first 40 minutes of the debate and therefore that comes at the expense of something,” Kelly clarified, contending that it is “all at the expense of something else that’s coming.”
Part of that arguing included Christie ripping Ramaswamy for his attacks on Haley.
“This is the fourth debate. The fourth debate that you will be voted in the first 20 minutes as the most obnoxious blowhard in America,” he told the entrepreneur.
But Kelly still had a reality check for Christie.
“He’s polling at 2%!” she exclaimed.“In no debate ever, and I’ve now done six of them, have we given as many questions to the guy who’s at 3% as to the person who’s in the lead, at least among the candidates that are on the stage. I’m sorry, Gov. Christie. That’s the way it is.”
She said as much at the debate where she savaged the candidate.
Megyn Kelly phrased her question perfectly, basically telling Chris Christie that no one likes him and he has zero chance of being the nominee.#GOPDebate pic.twitter.com/Y6JHYjl2g3
— Eddie (@ICU1010) December 7, 2023
On her show, citing CNN, she delivered straightforward numbers.
“Vivek got 22 minutes, DeSantis 21, Haley 17, Christie 16 and 52 seconds. So he was a half a minute behind Haley, who’s tied up there for number one,” Kelly said.
“I don’t want to hear it, frankly. We did right by him. He got a ton of airtime. That’s what he was mad about,” Kelly explained. “I like the guy, but just to break some news on what people speculating on … They never like it when they don’t get to speak.”
On social media, X users reacted to Kelly’s behind-the-scenes revelation.
I thought he was asking for that plate or food Vivek said to get
— Petey B (@realpeteyb123) December 8, 2023
Chris Christie’s tantrum over airtime is typical of career politicians. They crave the spotlight and throw fits when they don’t get it.
— Frank (@FrankChronicles) December 8, 2023
He shouldn’t have even been in the debate!! Good for Megyn!
— Kathleen Winchell ❤️ (@KathleenWinche3) December 8, 2023
Who does Chris think he is? Go away already.
— FightOracle ™ (@fightoracle) December 8, 2023
I think he should be applauded for walking that far without assistance
— Important Clips (@important_clips) December 8, 2023
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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