Campaign

Christie to Trump: ‘You’ll have to face me one way or another’

Republican presidential candidate former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during a campaign event, Monday, July 24, 2023, in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) warned former President Trump on social media Thursday that he will have to face him “one way or another”.

“Don’t worry, @realDonaldTrump,” said Christie, one of Trump’s opponents in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Debate stage or coming out of a building, you’ll have to face me one way or another. Get ready.”

The move follows the Trump campaign’s earlier calls this month for the Republican National Committee (RNC) to cancel the third GOP debate. The next debate is scheduled for Nov. 8 in Miami.

“The Republican National Committee should immediately cancel the upcoming debate in Miami and end all future debates in order to refocus its manpower and money on preventing Democrats’ efforts to steal the 2024 election,” Trump campaign senior advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita said in a statement, without offering any basis that Democrats were acting improperly in the 2024 election.

“Anything less, along with other reasons not to cancel, are an admission to the grassroots that their concerns about voter integrity are not taken seriously and national Republicans are more concerned about helping Joe Biden than ensuring a safe and secure election,” they added.

Christie didn’t limit remarks to Trump, though — he slammed his other rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination, saying they were “auditioning” to be part of the former president’s cabinet if he were to be reelected, in a later post on X.

“Every other candidate is auditioning to be in @realDonaldTrump’s cabinet,” Christie said in his post. “[I’m] not. I’m running to beat him and be President of the United States.”