Christie on hot mic says Haley’s 'gonna get smoked'
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie found himself on a hot mic ahead of his announcement in New Hampshire that he was ending his campaign, saying that Nikki Haley’s “gonna get smoked” in the race against Donald Trump.
“I mean look, she's spent like 68 million so far, just on TV — spent 68 million so far — 59 million by DeSantis, and we spent 12. I mean, who's punching above their weight and who's getting a return on their investment, you know?” Christie said. “And she's gonna get smoked. And you and I both know it. She's not up to this.”
Christie could also be heard saying that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) “called me petrified” before the audio later cut out.
The Hill has reached out to Christie’s and Haley’s campaigns for comment.
DeSantis touted Christie’s comments on Haley, writing in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter: “I agree with Christie that Nikki Haley is ‘going to get smoked.’”
Former President Trump, the GOP frontrunner, also shared Christie's comments about Haley, calling it a "very truthful statement."
Christie’s comments came just before the former New Jersey governor announced he would be ended his campaign. Christie has trailed Trump and Haley in New Hampshire — a state his campaign largely focused on during his presidential bid.
“It’s clear to me tonight that there isn’t a path for me to win the nomination,” Christie told his supporters at the Windham, N.H. town hall.
Haley praised Christie for running "a hard-fought campaign."
“Chris Christie has been a friend for many years," she said in a statement.
"Voters have a clear choice in this election: the chaos and drama of the past or a new generation of conservative leadership," Haley added. "I will fight to earn every vote, so together we can build a strong and proud America.”
Christie faced increasing pressure to exit the race in an effort for Republicans to rapidly coalesce around a Trump alternative in the primary. Though Christie ended his bid, he did not offer an endorsement for either Haley or DeSantis.
Updated: 6:13 p.m.