Former New Hampshire Governor Chris Christie officially announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race in a move that could boost the candidacy of former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Christie, the most anti-Trump candidate in the Republican primaries, failed to excite the majority of the electorate by fighting for the last places in almost all polls in most states.
However, in the state where he was governor, New Hampshire, Christie was well positioned in third place, exceeding 10% of voting intention in most surveys.
LIVE NOW: Town Hall with Chris Christie in Windham, New Hampshire https://t.co/1ckqmm2QgY
— Chris Christie (@GovChristie) January 10, 2024
"My goal has never been to be just a voice against the hate and the division and the selfishness of what our party has become under Donald Trump," Christie said, announcing his departure from the race. "It's also been to win the nomination and defeat Joe Biden and restore our party in our country to a new place of hope and optimism in this country."
"I've always said that if there came a point in time in this race where I couldn't see a path to accomplishing that goal, that I would get out. And it's clear to me tonight that there isn't a path for me to win the nomination, which is why I'm suspending my campaign tonight for president of the United States," he stated.
Does Christie's departure boost Haley?
In a recent CNN survey, former President Donald Trump leads the way in voting intentions, reaching 39% of the votes. However, Haley is not far behind, coming in second with 33%.
Christie has precisely 12% of the vote, placing him third. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is fourth, with 8%, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is in a disappointing fifth place, with 5% of the vote.
"Support for Haley has risen 12 percentage points since the last CNN/UNH poll in November, continuing an upward trajectory that began last summer, while her opponents –- including Trump – have seen their numbers remain stable or tick slightly downward since autumn," the news network reported.
Other polls in New Hampshire show similar results, with Haley chasing Trump from second place and gaining momentum in recent months. Support from Christie could be decisive.
The primary elections in New Hampshire will be held on January 23, a week before; on the 15th, the Maine caucus will be held, which could also boost the careers of Trump's opponents, who is first in most polls.
"She's not up to this."
While awaiting Christie's official announcement at his campaign site, the former New Hampshire governor was caught on an open microphone questioning Haley's ability to beat Trump while chatting with another person.
"She's gonna get smoked," he said. "You and I both know it, she's not up to this."
Christie also claimed that DeSantis called him, but then the broadcast was cut off.
#AUDIO | A la espera del anuncio de Chris Christie, se le puede escuchar por un micrófono encendido criticando a Nikki Haley mientras habla con alguien.
🗣️ "Tú y yo lo sabemos, ella no está a la altura".
👉 También afirma que DeSantis lo llamó, luego se corta la transmisión. pic.twitter.com/qveI7r8iKV
— VOZ (@VozMediaUSA) January 10, 2024
