Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said on Sunday that Donald Trump “can’t win a general election,” becoming the latest high-profile Republican to question the former president’s re-election hopes.
On ABC News’ “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” Christie, who also ran for president in 2016 before dropping out of the race and then endorsing Donald Trump, further suggested that Trump’s electability has “gotten worse” since 2020.
When asked by “This Week” anchor Martha Raddatz on Trump’s prospects Christie responded, “Well, I’ve said — I’ve said, over and over again, that he can’t win a general election. And — and that’s not speculation. That’s based upon the polling that I was privy to pre-the 2020 election, and what we saw actually happen in the 2020 election. And it’s only gotten worse since then.”
Christie also noted how Trump’s hand-picked candidates fared in the 2022 midterm elections.
“Then add to it what you saw happen in 2022, the election deniers losing across the country, bad candidates like Mastriano in Pennsylvania dragging the entire Pennsylvania ticket down in a historic way; Kari Lake, Blake Masters, Tim Michaels, Tudor Jones. We could go through the entire list, loser, loser, loser, loser, and I think Republicans are recognizing that.”
Christie had been a strong ally of Trump’s and had reportedly been considered to be the president’s White House chief of staff.
However, the former New Jersey governor withdrew from consideration before it wasn’t offered.
Here Comes Donald Trump
Christie’s statement came just a day after Trump kicked off his campaign with low-key stops in the early primary states of South Carolina and New Hampshire.
It is the first time he even hit the campaign trail since he announced last November that he was seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
However, instead of the mega-sized events that Trump has typically been known for, Saturday’s campaign appearances were smaller – and even described by some media outlets as “low-energy speeches.”
If Trump is serious about another run for the White House, he may have to fight even harder and would likely find himself the under dog this go-around.
Recent polls have shown Florida Governor Ron DeSantis edging out the former president, but in classic Donald Trump style, he’s dismissed the polls while stroking his own ego.
“He won’t be leading, I got him elected,” Trump said while referencing his 2018 endorsement that helped DeSantis. “I’m the one that chose him.”
What Trump may forget is that it is the voters who will decide who gets the Republican nomination, and then voters again who determine who occupies the Oval Office.
Trump has increasingly turned his back on those he sees as disloyal – and while he maintains a core base of followers and supporters, it will take the masses to get him re-elected.
Those masses simply aren’t there this time.
Author Experience and Expertise: A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
