Christie says he will ‘shame’ Trump into showing up for debates
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie leaves the stage after addressing the Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday, June 23, 2023.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vowed to “shame” former President Trump into attending Republican presidential debates after the front-runner threatened to hold a rival event instead.
“I will shame him into showing up,” Christie said in a Thursday podcast interview with Bari Weiss.
“And quite frankly, he owes it to his voters and to all the voters in the Republican Party to show up and debate. If he wants the honor of being the Republican nominee for president, he has an obligation to show up at those debates. But you know, ‘Oh, it’s not fair. It’s not fair to me. I’m so far ahead. Why should I let people talk about me?’ Because you decided to run for president. That’s why,” he added.
Christie’s attacks on Trump continue his feud with the former president.
Christie, a one-time ally of Trump’s, said taking on Trump is a primary motivation for his campaign, which began early this month.
When asked whether he would attend the first GOP debate in Milwaukee in August, Trump said, “Possibly not.”
Trump said he didn’t like Fox News, which is hosting the event, and didn’t want to give a platform to candidates polling far below him.
“Why would I give them time to make statements? Why would I do that when I’m leading them by 50 points and 60 points?” Trump told Reuters this week.
He said he is even considering holding a different event on the same night.
“We’ve had a lot of offers, whether it’s a rally or whether it’s an interview by somebody else,” Trump said. “Not to be braggadocious, but the debate will not be a very exciting one if I’m not there.”
Christie has jabbed Trump over debate attendance before, calling it a necessary part of the campaign. He expects the former president to be on the stage in Milwaukee.
“Quite frankly, I think he’ll show up ’cause I don’t think his ego will permit him not to,” Christie said.