Chris Christie is determined to be the anti-Trump candidate in the Republican primaries, even if that costs him the occasional awkward episode at certain events. Precisely, he was booed on Friday after criticizing the former president while giving a speech. When he suggested that Trump’s management had “let him down,” some audience members began to boo at him, leading to a few uncomfortable moments for the candidate.

The former governor of New Jersey participated in an event organized by the Faith and Freedom Coalition, where he took the stage to say a few words about his campaign. When it came to explaining why he had entered the race, he was extremely clear.

“Why am I running for president of the United States? I’m running because [Trump’s] let us down. He has let us down because he’s unwilling — he’s unwilling to take responsibility for any of the mistakes that were made,” said the candidate.

A few more words were all it took for the booing from the audience to begin, which Christie did not let pass without comment. “You can boo all you want,” he replied, later adding that “our faith teaches us that people have to take responsibility for what they do. People have to stand up and take accountability for what they do, and I cannot stand by,” now amid whistles and applause.

Christie made it clear that he was the first candidate to bow out of the 2016 race to then publicly endorse Trump in the presidential election and was even the leader of his transition team, but that after the 2020 election, it became virtually impossible for him to continue to endorse him.

Once the speech was over, the Republican received a lot of applause from a group of attendees waiting for him to talk and take pictures.

According to the latest polls, the former governor is sixth in individual preferences, although he is the most disliked candidate among Republicans. According to a CBS/You Gov poll, 79% of likely voters are not considering voting for him.

The first debate between the candidates is scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the 2024 convention will also occur. The Republican National Committee (RNC) has already published the requirements that candidates must meet to take the stage to exchange positions with their opponents.

To participate, Christie would need to garner at least 1% support in three national polls and have at least 40,000 unique donors, in addition to pledging to support the party’s eventual nominee.