Trump bashes Chris Christie over ‘small’ 2024 speech
Former US President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire, US, on Thursday, April 27, 2023. (Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Former President Trump slammed former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Tuesday amid Christie’s New Hampshire town hall, calling his speech “small.”
Christie, a Republican, formally launched his White House bid during a town hall in Saint Anselm College on Tuesday, criticizing the former president repeatedly by likening him to the Harry Potter villain “Voldemort” and calling him a “lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog.”
Trump wasted no time responding on his Truth Social platform.
“How many times did Chris Christie use the word SMALL? Does he have a psychological problem with SIZE? Actually, his speech was SMALL, and not very good. It rambled all over the place, and nobody had a clue of what he was talking about,” Trump wrote.
“Hard to watch, boring, but that’s what you get from a failed Governor (New Jersey) who left office with a 7% approval rating and then got run out of New Hampshire. This time, it won’t be any different!” he continued.
Though Republicans consider Christie to be a longshot for the GOP presidential nomination, his remarks on Tuesday demonstrated that he’s still a thorn in Trump’s side — raising questions about how Christie’s entrance in the race and repeated criticism of Trump might impact the former president’s standing.
Some Republicans have speculated that Christie’s pugilistic nature could offer an opening to other Republicans if he takes jabs at candidates like Trump. But some members of the GOP are apprehensive that his anti-Trump attitude might be rewarded by primary voters with the Republican nomination.