Chris Christie drops out of the US Presidential race

2024-01-11 08:19:47, Kosova & Bota CNA

WINDHAM, New Hampshire -- Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday he is ending his run for president before the start of the Republican primary, in a last-ditch effort to deny former President Donald Trump the chance. of receiving the appointment as the official candidate for president of the Republican Party.

"My goal has never been simply to be a voice against the hatred and division and selfishness that our party has achieved under Donald Trump," Mr. Christie said during a public meeting in New Hampshire.

"I have always said that if the moment came in this race when I did not see the possibility of achieving this goal, then I would leave. And it's clear to me today that there is no possibility of getting the nomination, so I'm ending my campaign for president of the United States today."

Chris Christie drops out of the US Presidential race

The exit from the race comes as a surprise, as Mr. Christie had based the success of his campaign on the New Hampshire primary, which is held in just two weeks. He had insisted until Tuesday evening that he had no intention of dropping out of the race, continuing to present himself as the only candidate willing to take on the former president.

But Mr Christie faced a harsh reality. Polls conducted by CNN/UNH last week in New Hampshire showed that four in ten likely Republican voters would vote for Mr. Trump, despite his narrowing lead, and that a third of them now support candidate Nikki Haley.

Allies of Ms. Haley and other anti-Trump Republicans had called on Mr. Christie to drop out, hoping that a large portion of his supporters would switch to Ms. Haley, giving her a chance. biggest against former president Trump, who continues to be the main favorite.

Chris Christie drops out of the US Presidential race

The poll in New Hampshire, where Mr. Christie came in at 12%, showed that about two-thirds of his supporters would select Ms. Haley as their second-favorite candidate.

Mr. Christie entered the race as the fiercest critic of former President Trump. He warned voters not to nominate a candidate against whom four criminal charges have been filed and who could even be sentenced before the general election in November. He also said that Mr. Trump would lose to President Joe Biden, who appears to be the Democratic Party's official nominee.

Although his anti-Trump message attracted media attention and helped fund his campaign and he stayed in the race for much longer than expected, there was high disapproval of Mr. Christie among party members who continue to show support for Mr. Trump./ VOA