Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie is feeling mighty confident that he has a serious shot at the party’s nomination and boasted that some polls show him in a second-place tie with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Riding high from a near-daily string of media appearances over the last two months and the chance to make a big impression at the first GOP debate in two weeks, the former New Jersey Governor told Fox News anchor Bret Baier that once the rest of the field is in his rearview mirror, he will be setting his sights on overtaking former President Donald J. Trump, the current frontrunner by a massive margin.
(Video: Fox News)
On Wednesday’s edition of “Special Report With Bret Baier,” the host brought up the Real Clear Politics polling average that shows him tied with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) in third place at just 6.7 percent to which Christie responded by citing two other polls that tell a much different story.
“In just the last two days there were two more polls that have come out that now have me tied for second with Governor DeSantis, one at 11 percent and one at 9 percent so we feel like it’s really moving in our direction,” he said, not naming which two polls that he was referring to.
“Our momentum is going the right way, Governor DeSantis is going in the wrong direction, and so first job is to get past Governor DeSantis here in New Hampshire,” Christie continued. “We’ve now caught him, now we need to pass him, and then we’re gonna take on Donald Trump one-on-one.”
Baier countered with a cold dose of the reality that Trump is absolutely clobbering the competition and is “up 20, 30, 40 points,” far ahead of the pack.
“And the campaign hasn’t begun yet, Bret,” Christie replied. “The campaign’s gonna begin when you and Martha get on that stage with the rest of us two weeks from tonight. The idea that the American people are really focused on this race right now in the middle of vacation season in August around America is kind of silly.”
The problem for Christie, who made it clear early on that he was on a kamikaze mission to sink Trump on the stage at a nationally televised debate, is that the former president has indicated that he isn’t keen on walking directly into an ambush situation and could sit on the sidelines and enjoy the show by watching the lesser candidates maul each other.
Responding to Baier’s question of “What difference does it make, one way or another for you if he’s on that stage or he’s not?”
“Doesn’t make any difference for me,” answered Christie. “The difference it makes is for the Republican voters because it shows his complete lack of respect for Republican voters. He thinks because he won the nomination twice that it’s his. And he thinks that these numbers mean they actually approve of what he did when in essence it’s just that he’s the best-known person in the race.”
“And so, if he doesn’t show up two weeks from tonight, what it will show, once again, is what he showed throughout his presidency, was a complete disrespect for the people,” he added, saying that the good thing for him is that he’ll get more time to speak because Trump won’t be droning on about “his three indictments with a fourth to come.”
Christie also reacted to Trump’s insulting of him as a “fat pig” during a New Hampshire rally on Tuesday.
“If you had the guts you would show up to the debate and say it to my face,” he tweeted along with a clip of Trump’s remarks.
If you had the guts you would show up to the debate and say it to my face. pic.twitter.com/Zyuh6GVgVh
— Chris Christie (@GovChristie) August 9, 2023
“The way I grew up and the way I was raised, when a man has something to say to another man, you look him straight in the eyes and say it to his face,” he said in another tweet.
The way I grew up and the way I was raised, when a man has something to say to another man, you look him straight in the eyes and say it to his face.
A coward does the opposite.
I’ll be in Milwaukee if Trump’s got something to say. pic.twitter.com/yb8O4aH3c1
— Chris Christie (@GovChristie) August 10, 2023
“A coward does the opposite,” Christie added, once again trying to goad Trump into showing up to be ambushed. “I’ll be in Milwaukee if Trump’s got something to say.”
One poll that Christie didn’t mention is the recent survey by Morning Consult showing that he’s by far the most disliked candidate in the race, his net favorability rating being “18 points underwater, with 45% of potential GOP primary voters holding unfavorable views.”
Get the latest BPR news delivered free to your inbox daily. SIGN UP HERE
- Iran rejection of ceasefire escalates new phase, boots on the ground strategy - March 26, 2026
- ‘They sicken me’ – Trump slams Supreme Court justices he appointed - March 26, 2026
- Ilhan Omar’s a proud mom over daughter’s junket to communist Cuba - March 25, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.