A win for Trump? Chris Christie drops out of the Republican presidential race

• Chris Christie drops out of the presidential race.
• He didn’t qualify for the CNN debate.
• This clears the way for DeSantis and Haley

Former Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, announced on Wednesday that he is suspending his campaign to be the Republican Party’s candidate for the 2024 presidential election.

Christie promised to work to prevent Trump from being reelected.

«It is 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,» said Christie.

This was during a meeting with voters in Windham, New Hampshire, according to EFE.

Chris Christie drops out of the presidential race

The announcement from the former governor of New Jersey came just hours before the fifth Republican primary debate. The primaries kick off next Monday in Iowa.

Chris Christie did not meet the requirements for the CNN debate.

Those who did qualify for the debate were Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump.

Christie has been one of the most vociferous critics of Trump since the Republican primary race began.

Setting aside personal ambition

In his speech, Chris Christie once again attacked Trump, stating that the former president is «not fit» to occupy the White House again.

He emphasized that despite dropping out of the presidential race, he will continue to fight to defend democracy.

«I want to promise you this. I’m going to make sure that in no way do I enable Donald Trump to ever be president of the United States again,» he said.

«And that’s more important than my own personal ambition,» he continued.

Christie hoped to defeat Joe Biden

Chris Christie warned that his goal «My goal has never been to be just a voice against the hate and division and the selfishness» that has come to define the Republican Party under Trump’s leadership.

«My goal has been to win the nomination and defeat Joe Biden,» he said.

Last August, Christie stated on X (formerly Twitter) that Trump is a «certified loser, a verified coward,» for skipping the first Republican primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Minutes after Christie announced his withdrawal, Haley reacted on X, praising her former rival «for a hard-fought campaign.»

Christie drops out: Nikki Haley applauds his decision

«Voters have a clear choice in this election: the chaos and drama of the past or a new generation of conservative leadership,» Nikki Haley tweeted.

«I will fight to earn every vote, so together we can build a strong and proud America,» she continued.

Chris Christie’s exit from the race could increase Haley and DeSantis’ chances of catching up to Trump, who leads by a large margin nationwide.

According to a FiveThirtyEight poll, he is the favorite at 61.3%, well ahead of DeSantis who is at 12.5% and Haley at 11.5%.