Haley says she doesn’t want Christie’s endorsement: ‘I don’t need it’

Republican presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley said she doesn’t want former fellow candidate Chris Christie’s endorsement.

When asked in an interview that aired Friday on NewsNation’s “On Balance with Leland Vittert” if she wanted Christie’s endorsement, Haley responded “No.”

“I don’t need it,” the former United Nations ambassador responded when asked why she didn’t want the endorsement.

Christie dropped out of the GOP presidential primary race a little over a week ago, only days before the Iowa caucuses.

“It’s clear to me tonight that there isn’t a path for me to win the nomination,” Christie said at a town hall in Windham, N.H.

Before he announced that he was dropping out of the race, the former New Jersey governor was caught on a hot mic saying that Haley is “gonna get smoked” in the race against her former boss, former President Trump.

“I mean look, she’s spent like $68 million so far, just on TV — spent $68 million so far — $59 million by DeSantis, and we spent $12 [million]. I mean, who’s punching above their weight and who’s getting a return on their investment, you know?” Christie said. “And she’s gonna get smoked. And you and I both know it. She’s not up to this.”

The former president touted Christie’s words in a post on his social media platform, saying it was a “very truthful statement.” 

In Decision Desk HQ/The Hill’s GOP New Hampshire primary poll average, the former president has a 10.6-point lead over Haley, at 45.6 percent versus the former South Carolina governor’s 35 percent. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is far behind Haley in the average at 5.8 percent.

Haley came in third behind Trump and DeSantis in the recent Iowa caucuses earlier this week, according to a projection by Decision Desk HQ.

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