Christie clashes with Newsmax host over Trump and the 2024 race

Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie clashed with Newsmax host Eric Bolling on Thursday over former President Trump and the 2024 presidential race.

Christie, the former New Jersey governor, has been one of Trump’s most vocal critics in the GOP race. Bolling pushed him to adopt this strategy and question whether Christie’s low poll numbers might cause him to reconsider his attack on Trump.

“No, now is not the time to change strategy. The guy who’s 20 points ahead is the guy you have to beat to be the nominee, Eric,” Christie told Bolling.

“And that’s why I think Haley and DeSantis’ strategy is so ineffective, and why Ron DeSantis is now in the single digits in New Hampshire, because he’s not arguing against the one person you have to beat if you want to be the Republican nominee for president,” Christie said.

The former governor then attacked Trump over the dozens of charges he faces in several states, arguing that Trump cannot beat President Biden “from, you know, a courtroom in Washington, D.C., when he is being tried for crimes.”

Christie and Bolling began clashing after Christie said it was “not a woke prosecutor” or a “crazy Democrat” who opposed Trump in court, pointing to the former chief’s cooperation. Trump office, Mark Meadows. “Mark Meadows, you would call him a hero a few weeks ago,” Christie said.

“Come on. Don’t interrupt me when I start saying things that make people uncomfortable,” Christie said as the host tried to intervene.

“By the way, I’m not a numbers person, Eric. I’m a character guy,” Christie continued. “And I think we deserve better as the Republican Party and as the United States than a guy who is going to be convicted of crimes next April to be our nominee.”

Bolling pushed back on Christie’s claim that Trump would be convicted, saying that if it happened it would be by “a group of liberal Democrats” who “fear him.”

“No, I can’t stand for you to say that,” Christie retorted. “He’s going to be found guilty by Mark Meadows.”

Christie has repeatedly said he believes Trump would be a convicted felon and has attacked other Republican candidates for their continued willingness to support the former president, who has been charged in four separate criminal cases, including a total of 91 counts.

“When Mark Meadows takes the stand, everything I’ve said about Donald Trump that you’ve been making fun of me about for months will end up being true,” Christie said. “The truth is coming, baby.”