Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced on Wednesday that he will not be running against Donald Trump on a third-party “unity” ticket with No Labels in the 2024 presidential race.
Chris Christie, who had previously challenged the former president for the Republican nomination, decided to exit the race in January. Among all the GOP candidates, he was known for being the most vocal critic of Trump.
“I am grateful for the support and encouragement I have received in my decision to run as a third-party candidate,” he expressed in a statement provided to ABC News and other media outlets.
In expressing his perspective, he emphasized the importance of having a discussion with the American people. However, he also acknowledged that if there is no viable path to victory and if his candidacy would inadvertently contribute to the re-election of Donald Trump, he sees it as an unfavorable approach.
Christie has expressed his disapproval of Trump’s anticipated rematch with President Joe Biden in the general election.
During an appearance on ABC’s “The View” last month, he expressed his opinion, stating that we are faced with two unappealing options.
During a February interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, he reiterated similar sentiments.
In November, I can say with certainty that I am unsure about my decision. However, I want to make it clear that I will not be voting for Donald Trump, no matter what.
During the interview, he also expressed his openness to the possibility of joining No Labels. The organization has been actively courting potential candidates for a bipartisan ticket to challenge Trump and Biden in the upcoming election.
Despite numerous attempts, the endeavor has so far proven unsuccessful.
According to a source familiar with Christie’s thinking, he regarded No Labels as a significant endeavor. In fact, he went as far as conducting polls and engaging with potential donors in the past few weeks. However, after careful consideration, Christie concluded that a successful presidential bid was not feasible for him. Instead, he believed that running as a third-party candidate could potentially benefit Trump’s chances of winning the election.
Christie stated in a recent interview with Stephanopoulos that the present time might be opportune for a third-party candidate to have an impact. However, he emphasized the importance of being realistic in such an endeavor.
In previous statements, he explained that he would require a clear path to securing 270 electoral votes, not just for himself but for any candidate, in order to consider accepting the nomination.
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