Christie caught on hot mic: Haley is ‘gonna get smoked’
Minutes before Chris Christie was set to announce that he was ending his presidential campaign, he was caught on a hot mic disparaging his soon-to-be former competitors.
“She’s gonna get smoked,” the former New Jersey governor said of Nikki Haley, the candidate who stands to gain the most from Christie’s departure from the contest. “And you and I both know it. She’s not up to this.”
It is unclear who he is talking to, though it appears to be a man named Wayne.
“DeSantis called me petrified,” Christie said of Florida governor. It’s unclear what DeSantis was petrified of.
The comments were caught on a livestream feed before Christie began a town hall event in Windham, N.H. And they unearth the anger that the former governor has felt about the state of the primary race to date. Christie has staked all of his candidacy on attacking former President Donald Trump. But he has seen little traction in the polls beyond a narrow swath of New Hampshire voters.
“People don’t want to hear it,” he is heard saying.
Christie could also be heard commenting on how much his opponents have spent on television ads, saying that Haley has spent “$68 million so far just on TV … and we spent $12 [million]. I mean, who’s punching above their weight and who’s getting a return on their investment?”
Haley has been gaining momentum in New Hampshire, with recent polling showing her in second place behind Trump, and Christie in third. His departure from the race could stand to help her close the gap further.
The video was shortly taken down.