Chris Christie town hall: Christie slams ex-president as poll shows slight bump in favorability

Former New Jersey governor and 2024 presidential candidate Chris Christie appeared before Americans on Monday night in a town hall hosted by CNN.

During the event, Mr Christie tore into Donald Trump, accusing the former president of “vanity run amok.”

“The conduct in there is awful,” Mr Christie said of the former president’s recent indictment.

The former New Jersey governor also claimed that Mr Trump – who he compared to “Voldemort” – wanted to blame him for supposedly being the “Patient Zero” of a Covid-19 superspreader event, when the two men contracted the virus in 2020.

In reality, he says Mr Trump sought his assurance that he would not blame him for infecting those present at a debate preparation session — where Mr Trump had not told attendees that he had tested positive for the virus that morning.

Less than a week ago, Mr Christie officially entered the already-packed race for the Republican nomination joining Mr Trump, former vice president Mike Pence, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and more.

Thus far, the former New Jersey official is polling well behind the rest of the Republican frontrunners, barely cracking one per cent support.

Key Points

• Christie mocks ‘loser’ Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’ and accuses him of ‘vanity run amok’

• ‘Show me the evidence’: Chris Christie rips Trump election denialism during CNN town hall

• How to watch CNN town hall with Chris Christie

• What responsibility does Chris Christie have for Donald Trump’s rise to power?

ICYMI: Chris Christie targets Donald Trump as he sets up bitter 2024 battle

Monday 12 June 2023 16:22 , Ariana Baio

The battle for the Republican nomination just got a whole lot messier.

That was the defining message of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s campaign launch on Tuesday: get ready for blood.

Calling out his opponents by name, deconstructing their campaign slogans and clever quips — Chris Christie was in prime form on Tuesday evening at St Anselm College in New Hampshire, where he addressed a small crowd of voters in a town hall-style event and put his sights clear on his top rival, Donald Trump.

John Bowden reports:

Chris Christie targets his former friend Trump as he sets up bitter 2024 battle

Chris Christie describes moments Trump ‘disqualified’ himself

Monday 12 June 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio

VOICES: Chris Christie gave Trump legitimacy. Now he can’t stop Trump in 2024

Monday 12 June 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio

“The 2012 presidential race was likely Chris Christie’s time. In 2009, he won the governorship in staunchly Democratic New Jersey and had become a favorite of conservatives for his willingness to combat teachers’ unions and other Democratic groups in moments that went viral in the right-wing media ecosystem. It was “owning the libs” before “owning the libs” was a thing.

Now, Mr Christie has announced another quixotic White House run. As an elected official who left his office in disgrace and who has not held a position for years in a radically changed GOP, Mr Christie is unlikely to win. But most observers see his run as an attempt to stop Mr Trump from winning again.”

Eric Garcia writes:

Chris Christie gave Trump legitimacy. Now he can’t stop Trump in 2024

Chris Christie calls Donald Trump mocking his weight: ‘childish'

Monday 12 June 2023 18:00 , Ariana Baio

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie likened former president Donald Trump mocking his weight to a child’s behavior.

While speaking with Jake Tapper, Mr Christie commented on Mr Trump’s attacks saying he responds in a childish way anytime a person criticises him.

“It renewed in my own mind what a child he is. He’s a baby,” Mr Christie said on CNN. “Whenever you want to criticise him, in any way, that’s the way he responds.”

Mr Trump mocked Mr Christie’s weight following his 2024 campaign announcement.

“It’s so juvenile. He is such a spoiled baby,” Mr Christie added.

Who is running for president in 2024?

Monday 12 June 2023 18:30 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie joins the likes of President Joe Biden, former president Donald Trump, former vice president Mike Pence and more in his bid for the White House.

Here’s who else is running for president in 2024:

Who is running for president in 2024?

Chris Christie says he ‘won’t be holding back’ during town hall

Monday 12 June 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie said he would be taking questions from the audience during his town hall with Anderson Cooper on CNN tonight and he doesn’t plan to hold back in his answers.

“I’ll be joining [Anderson Cooper] for a live town hall on CNN tonight at 8pm ET. Tune in as I answer questions from a live audience. I won’t be holding back,” Mr Christie tweeted on Monday afternoon.

The former New Jersey governor is known for his self-assertive and no-nonsense attitude toward politics.

Fox News host apologises for ‘milkshake’ Chris Christie comment

Monday 12 June 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio

A Fox News host has apologised after making a barbed remark about Chris Christie’s weight and his ability to down a milkshake.

John Roberts mocked the former New Jersey governor as he discussed his entry into the 2024 presidential race on the right-wing channel’s show America Reports.

Roberts made the comment as he compared the fight for the Republican nomination to two milkshakes, one being drunk by Donald Trump and the other by the remaining candidates.

John Bowden reports:

Fox News host apologises for ‘milkshake’ Chris Christie comment

What responsibility does Chris Christie have for Donald Trump’s rise to power?

Monday 12 June 2023 20:00 , Josh Marcus

The year was 2016, and Chris Christie had just dropped out of the presidential race, throwing his support behind Donald Trump.

Mr Christie’s endorsement of the future president lent him credibility and gave Republicans something they needed to cast their ballot for the reality television star who had never held public office before – permission.

Now, Mr Christie has announced another quixotic White House run. As an elected official who left his office in disgrace and who has not held a position for years in a radically changed GOP, Mr Christie is unlikely to win. But most observers see his run as an attempt to stop Mr Trump from winning again.

Republicans are about as likely to receive his message warning about the perils of another Trump presidency as they would be likely to receive the message from Liz Cheney.

Read more from our DC bureau chief Eric Garcia on how we should think about Chris Christie’s legacy – and his future.

Chris Christie gave Trump legitimacy. Now he can’t stop Trump in 2024

The hometown view on Christie? Not a winner, but maybe a helpful foil for Trump

Monday 12 June 2023 20:30 , Josh Marcus

Commentators in Chris Christie’s home state of New Jersey are taking a somewhat dim view of the former governor’s run for the White House in 2024.

Many don’t believe he’s going to win, or even that his criticisms of Donald Trump are sincere.

”Like any standard politician, he has hoisted his finger to the wind to see which way it’s blowing,” Dick Polman writes today in the New Jersey Monitor.

As Saladin Ambar notes in NJ Spotlight New, there has never been a governor who has successfully beaten their party’s incumbent to take the presidential nominee.

Despite the long odds, and doubts that Christie, the on-again, off-again ally of Mr Trump, has really changed his ways, some opinion writers believe his candidacy may still be worthwhile.

“Christie can still serve a good purpose if, as already evidenced, he’s willing to say the stuff that has long needed to be said,” Mr Polman adds.

The question remains, if Mr Christie continues to say the quiet part out loud and criticise Donald Trump, will that have any way on the former president’s massive, loyal base?

Chris Christie’s pitch: I’m the adult in the room

Monday 12 June 2023 21:00 , Josh Marcus

Allies of Chris Christie seem to be hoping that the former New Jersey governor’s reputation as a no-nonsense guy will be enough to peel off some Republican voters after the chaos of the Trump years.

A recent ad from Tell It Like It Is, a pro-Christie PAC, is titled “Qualified,” and features the former governor telling an audience of New Hampshire voters, “These are real problems that real serious people need to solve by putting your interests first, not their own.”

The approach is a pretty straightforward one, but it raises some interesting questions about the American electorate.

Namely, what if people like that Donald Trump isn’t really qualified to be president? What if they like that he rose to power by being more outrageous and attention-grabbing than everyone else?

Even after multiple indictments, years of scandals, and a humiliating one-term presidency, Mr Trump is still extremely popular with the Republican base, with polls showing the former president with over twice the support of his nearest rivals.

If voters genuinely wanted the adult in the room, one wonders if we would really see this kind of continued support.

Is Chris Christie’s campaign DOA?

Monday 12 June 2023 21:30 , Josh Marcus

The pollls are not looking great for Chris Christie.

Despite being a high-profile national political figure, the former New Jersey governor is barely cracking one per cent support as a 2024 candidate, according to a RealClear Politics average of national polls.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, is nearly 50 times more popular.

A likely theme of tonight’s town hall: the latest Trump indictment

Monday 12 June 2023 22:00 , Josh Marcus

Tonight’s Chris Christie town hall will likely mention the recent federal indictment of Donald Trump for showing highly classified nuclear and military information to unauthorised persons.

The former New Jersey governor has made a point to criticise Mr Trump as being a loose canon and an untrustworthy figure to have in the White House.

Here’s more of our reporting on the indictment.

The federal charges against Donald Trump

Will Chris Christie hit Donald Trump on immigration?

Monday 12 June 2023 22:30 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie is blazing his own path within the GOP when it comes to the issue of immigration.

Many in the Republican party and the conservative media apparatus have sought to paint every issue at the border as the result of Joe Biden’s policies, but the former New Jersey governor is reaching further back.

He argued earlier this month that criticisms of illegal immigration should be directed towards Donald Trump.

“It is his fault because he never changed one immigration law in the two years that he had Republican control of Congress,” Mr Christie said earlier this month while announcing his presidential campaign during an event in New Hampshire. “Not one immigration law did he change. He didn’t build the wall, and Mexico is laughing at the idea that they were going to pay for a wall on their border.”

As PolitiFact notes, Donald Trump issued an unprecedented 472 executive actions related to immigration, but didn’t put any long-term changes in place that reduced illegal migration or cleared asylum backlogs.

Chris Christie’s unlikely ally in sports media

Monday 12 June 2023 23:00 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie, who is barely polling in the single digits, could certainly use some allies.

Last week, sports fans were surprised when ESPN personality Stephen Smith threw his weight behind the former New Jersey governor’s longshot campaign.

“Yes, I know the Gov. Yes, he’s a friend. But this has nothing to do with endorsing him nor anyone else,” Mr Smith wrote on Twitter, attaching a link to the Christie campaign. “This is about helping the Gov get on that debate stage so we can all see who’s the best man or woman for the job.”

Mr Smith has said he previously voted for Joe Biden, but wants a new name to hold the White House in 2024, given Mr Biden’s advanced age.

“Somebody’s gotta say it, so I’m gonna say it: We need a new president in 2024. We need a new president,” Mr Smith said on his podcast last week.

“I voted for him, and based on some of the leading candidates on the right side, I’d probably be forced to vote for him again ’cause they scare the living hell outta me with some of the things that they’re preaching about. But I wouldn’t like it,” Mr Smith added.

Donald Trump doesn’t seem that worried about Chris Christie

Monday 12 June 2023 23:57 , Josh Marcus

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie is likely to go after Donald Trump this evening during a townhall event on CNN.

But a potential barrage from the 2024 candidate doesn’t seem too high on the concern list for Mr Trump.

A campaign ad released today on Truth Social doesn’t mention Mr Christie at all, instead hammering Joe Biden and the “corrupt radical left prosecutors” who have brought criminal charges against Mr Trump.

On Monday, as Mr Trump boarded a private jet to Miami where he is set to face his second criminal indictment this year, the ex-president continued to rail against the Biden family.

“I WILL APPOINT A REAL SPECIAL ‘PROSECUTOR’ TO GO AFTER THE MOST CORRUPT PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE USA, JOE BIDEN, THE ENTIRE BIDEN CRIME FAMILY, & ALL OTHERS INVOLVED WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR ELECTIONS, BORDERS, & COUNTRY ITSELF!” fumed Mr Trump in an all-caps rant posted around noon.

Read more about how Donald Trump is handling this moment, and why it seems he has bigger fish to fry than his rivals in the 2024 field.

Trump vows to ‘go after’ Biden’s family as he boards Miami arraignment private jet

The many chapters of the Christie-Trump saga

Tuesday 13 June 2023 00:30 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump and Chris Christie have gone from allies to enemies more times than the characters in Game of Thrones.

The former New Jersey governor has been Mr Trump’s campaign rival, administration adviser, and was once discussed as a possible Trump attorney general.

Here’s more background on their turbulent relationship.

Donald Trump thinks the Oval Office is his

Chris Christie says Jan 6 was ‘incited by Donald Trump’ to ‘overturn the election’

New book claims Trump told Chris Christie not to say he got Covid from him

Chris Christie hits back at Trump’s mockery over his weight: ‘Such a spoiled baby’

Christie: Trump reruns would be worse than original show

Chris Christie is about to take the stage for CNN town hall

Tuesday 13 June 2023 00:58 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie is about to take the stage in a CNN town hall-style event, the former New Jersey governor’s biggest chance yet to campaign with the American public.

We’ll be covering all the biggest moments live.

Christie calls latest Trump indictment ‘awful'

01:07 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie is hammering Donald Trump over his latest criminal indictment.

“The conduct in there is awful,” the former New Jersey governor said during a CNN town hall on Monday.

“That’s obstruction of justice if it’s true,” he added.

The 2024 candidate also said he thinks there are probably even worse revelations in store about Mr Trump’s conduct.

“There will guaranteed be a lot more. When you’re a prosecutor, you don’t put every card on the table before the trial.”

Here’s more info on the indictment.

Trump accused of showing classified papers to unauthorised persons

Christie accuses Trump of ‘vanity run amok’ and slams GOP for ‘playing games'

01:17 , Josh Marcus

In a scathing commentary, Chris Christie accused Donald Trump of “inexcusable” conduct and the rest of the Republican party of playing “games” to cover it up.

“This is vanity run amok. Ego run amok,” the former New Jersey governor said on Monday during a CNN town hall of Donald Trump’s mishandling of classified documents.

“He cannot live with the fact that he lost to Joe Biden,” Mr Christie added. “He wants to continue to pretend he’s president. He wants the trappings of the president around him, and one of those trappings is these documents.”

The 2024 candidate also had sharp words for his fellow Republicans who have refused to condemn Mr Trump’s conduct.

“It’s indefensible,” he went on. “They’re playing games.”

Mr Christie accused the Republicans of hedging their bets, waiting for Mr Trump to implode on his own before stepping out and offering any criticisms.

Chris Christie hammers spending in Washington but defends Ukraine aid

01:27 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie criticised the spending records of recent Republican and Democratic administrations in Washington, while arguing for continued aid to Ukraine.

The former New Jersey Democrat accused Joe Biden of pouring money into “crazy programmes” and driving inflation, but also noted that Donald Trump left Americans with a massive deficit before him.

“Donald Trump spent more money than Barack Obama did in a four year period, and left us with...one of the biggest deficits any president has ever had,” he said.

Mr Christie added that the Ukraine war was important because it is a “proxy war” with China.

“We should be able to get our spending under control and we should be able to have a strong military that will stand up for friends around the world that are free,” he said. “My real concern about this is for your children and my grandchildren, are they going to live in a world where China is setting the tone for this world, a Communist dictatorship where they tell you about how many children you can have?”

Chris Christie blasts Donald Trump as a ‘three-time loser’

01:39 , Josh Marcus

Former New Jersey governor and 2024 candidate Chris Christie says Republicans are afraid to criticise Donald Trump by name or call out his unsuccessful record.

“He hasn’t won a damn thing since 2016,” Mr Christie said, blasting the former president as a “three-time loser” and noting how even after Trump left office, the Republican party was barely able to take back the House, despite midterm elections usually being a major boost for the opposition party.

The former New Jersey governor said other Republicans are treating Donald Trump like Voldemort.

”Nobody wants to mention his name,” Mr Chriustie said. “Say his name man, say his name...How do you beat someone if you don’t talk about them? How do you beat them if they don’t distinguish themselves from him?”

Chris Christie says he feels ‘wholly inadequate’ to take on gun violence

01:57 , Josh Marcus

It’s a rare thing to see politicians say they’re not sure what to do, but that’s just what happened on Monday evening when the father of a victim of the Las Vegas mass shooting asked Chris Christie what he would do to tackle America’s epidemic of mass shootings,

The Republican candidate said his current ability to make a difference at this moment “wholly inadequate.”

“I’m mad because I don’t have a great answer,” the former New Jersey governor said. “I wish I did.”

Mr Christie added that “there’s not a lot more left to do” on the federal level, and called his past support for an assault weapons ban “naïvete.”

The 2024 candidate called for more of a focus on mental health and better policing.

‘Show me the evidence’: Chris Christie rips Trump election denialism during CNN town hall

01:59 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump is a “child” who can’t accept that he lost and instead has been spreading the “destructive” lie that the 2020 election was rigged, Chris Christie said on Monday night during a CNN town hall.

“Just show me the evidence. It’s the same thing I said to Donald Trump in the aftermath of the 2020 election,” he said. “But there’s no evidence. I’m sorry, all these conspiracy thoeries, he still talks about they were bringing boxes of ballots into Fulton County, Georgia, no many how many times we explain to him that’s the way they do it.”

Christie mocks ‘loser’ Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’ and accuses him of ‘vanity run amok’

02:07 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie was in peak form Monday evening as he laid into former President Donald Trump in his second town hall-style appearance as a presidential candidate.

The governor’s performance on CNN was in many ways a repeat of his initial launch event at St Anselm College in New Hampshire a week earlier. But the governor fine-tuned his attacks over the days ahead of his first cable news spot, and came out swinging against the Republican frontrunner.

He largely ignored his other GOP rivals as he took questions from voters and moderator Anderson Cooper, while landing every blow he could on his main rival (and former ally). Mr Christie hit his opponent on nearly every topic, from his most recent indictment for the mishandling of presidential records and violations of the Espionage Act to the performance of the Republican Party electorally since 2016, blame for which he laid squarely at the the feet of the de facto GOP leader.

“He flew the boxes up to New Jersey for summer vacation. What is this, like, they’re a family member?” Mr Christie vented at one point, referencing recent reporting on the 37-count indictment Mr Trump faces in the Southern District of Florida.

John Bowden has the full story.

Christie mocks ‘loser’ Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’

Chris Christie calls Roe v Wade ‘wrong’ and refuses to speak out on DeSantis abortion ban

02:18 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie is trying to walk a tight rope right now on abortion.

On the one hand, the former New Jersey governor says he is proudly against abortion, but he is also hesitating to speak explicitly about how far anti-abortion policy should go in the US.

“What I stand for is what conservatives have been arguing for 50 years, that Roe is wong, there is no federal constitutional right to an abortion and that the states should decide,” he said. “I absolutely believe each state should make their own decision on this. The federal government should not be involved unless and until there’s a consensus around the country from the 50 states making their decisions.”

When asked if he would support a federal abortion ban, Mr Christie responded that there were too many “ifs” in that hypothetical, and the former New Jersey governor also ruled out speaking on Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s 6-week abortion ban.

”That’s governor DeSantis’s decition to make along with the legislature in Florida,” he added. “The people will judge him on whether that’s harsh or not.”

Former New Jersey governor calls for immigration reform and to finish the border wall

02:34 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie told the audience at his CNN town hall on Monday that immigration reform is needed, and that he would finish the border wall project that was the centre of Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign

“You have to change the immigration laws to make them fairer, clearer, and have some teeth in them,” he said.

“You need a president who is going to sit down with both parties and say enough, enough posturing, let’s come to a solution,” he added. “Only if you have had to sit with your adversaries, listen to them, reason with them, and then come to an agreement, do you know how to do it. I don’t see anybody in this race other than me who has had the experience of doing that at the executive level.”

WATCH: Chris Christie slams Trump as ‘three-time loser’

03:30 , Josh Marcus

During his CNN town hall, Chris Christie argued the only way to take on Donald Trump is by going straight at him and not being afraid to offer forceful criticism.

No moment during Monday’s event was more forceful than when the former New Jersey governor said Republicans should be honest and blame the “three-time loser” Donald Trump for his failings.

Watch below.

Blood is in the water for Donald Trump

04:30 , Josh Marcus

After years of Republicans being afraid to offer even the slighest whisper of criticism against Donald Trump, things seem to be shifting.

Chris Christie tore into the former president on Monday night during a CNN town hall, painting him as a “loser” and a vengeful “child” who can’t accept reality, whether it’s in regard to the 2020 election or the former president’s recent indictment.

Fellow 2024 nominee Nikki Haley is also joining the chorus of critics, calling Mr Trump “reckless” for mishandling classified documents.

What to know about Chris Christie’s ‘Bridgegate’ scandal

05:30 , Josh Marcus

If Chris Christie continues to advance in the 2024 nomination process, you’ll surely be hearing a lot more about “Bridgegate,” a 2013 scandal in which advisors of Mr Christie intentionally ordered the closure of parts of the busy George Washington Bridge, allegedly as political retribution against a Democrat who didn’t support the New Jersey governor.

Here’s some reporting on the scandal.

Chris Christie allies jailed over Bridgegate scandal

Former 'Bridgegate' villain seeks political resurrection

Chris Christie 'knew' about scandalous bridge closure, court hears

How’s Chris Christie doing in the polls?

06:30 , Josh Marcus

Not so well.

The former New Jersey governor has little over one per cent support since launching his campaign, according to polls of the GOP electorate.

WATCH: Chris Christie raises questions about Joe Biden’s age during CNN town hall

07:30 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie accused both Donald Trump and Joe Biden of being past their “sell-by” dates.

During a Monday town hall event on CNN, the former New Jersey governor and current 2024 hopeful warned that Mr Biden wouldn’t be able to handle future crises.

Here’s our reporting on how age could define the coming debates in US politics.

The danger of America’s ageing politicians

Donald Trump silent on Chris Christie town hall so far

08:30 , Josh Marcus

As of late Monday evening, Donald Trump did not comment publicly on Chris Christie’s CNN town hall, where the former New Jersey governor tore into his 2024 rival.

Instead, Mr Trump continued to bang the drum on various Joe Biden conspiracy theories and posted a campaign ad attacking the various indictments against him.

ICYMI: Christie mocks ‘loser’ Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’ and accuses him of ‘vanity run amok’

09:30 , Josh Marcus

What did Chris Christie have to say during his CNN town hall on Monday.

Catch up with John Bowden’s full story from our DC desk.

Christie mocks ‘loser’ Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’

Former Trump ally Scaramucci praises Chris Christie after town hall

10:30 , Josh Marcus

Former Trump administration official Anthony Scaramucci praised Chris Christie following the New Jersey governor’s CNN town hall on Monday.

“Chris Christie did an amazing job tonight on the CNN Townhall,” he wrote on Twitter on Monday. “I find it interesting that President Trump actually created the lane for Governor Christie. People wanted to see Trump a certain way but ultimately he is corrupt. We are hungry for straight talk and common sense and for a unification. The governor delivered all of those things tonight and more.”

Chris Christie, the ever-changing Trump ally

11:30 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie may have harsh words for Donald Trump now, but the New Jersey governor was once one of the New York billionaire’s biggest backers.

Last week, the Democratic party put out an ad spotlighting some of the many times Mr Christie has voiced his support.

Chris Christie says Trump wanted to pin Covid outbreak on him

12:20 , Rachel Sharp

The former New Jersey governor claimed that Mr Trump – who he compared to “Voldemort” – wanted to blame him for supposedly being the “Patient Zero” of a Covid-19 superspreader event.

The two men contracted the virus in 2020, with Mr Christie ending up in the ICU.

While allegedly seeking to pin the blame for the outbreak on Mr Christie, in reality, Mr Trump sought the former governor’s assurance that he would not blame him for infecting those present at a debate preparation session, Mr Christie said.

Mr Trump had tested positive for the virus on the morning of the session but did not disclose it.

WATCH: Chris Christie refutes 2020 election conspiracies

12:50 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie is one of the few well-known Republicans willing to admit that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.

During his CNN town hall on Monday, the former New Jersey governor continued to call out Mr Trump’s conspiracies on the subject, telling the audience members, “There’s no evidence.”

Watch more of his take below.

Christie’s new nickname for Trump

13:20 , Rachel Sharp

While Chris Christie pushed back on Donald Trump’s childish namecalling about his weight, he had his own nickname for the former president: Voldemort.

Trump fires back at Christie’s town hall comments

13:50 , Rachel Sharp

Donald Trump clearly tuned into his one-time ally turned rival’s town hall on Monday night.

In a Truth Social statement, he claimed that Chris Christie fixated on the word “small” throughout the CNN interview.

“How many times did Chris Christie use the word SMALL? Does he have a psychological problem with SIZE? Actually, his speech was SMALL, and not very good,” he wrote.

“It rambled all over the place, and nobody had a clue of what he was talking about. Hard to watch, boring, but that’s what you get from a failed Governor (New Jersey) who left office with a 7% approval rating and then got run out of New Hampshire,” barked the former president. “This time, it won’t be any different!”

Chris Christie criticises Republicans defending Donald Trump

14:00 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie urged Republicans who are defending Donald Trump to stop going after the Department of Justice and start holding Mr Trump accountable during his town hall on CNN.

“We’re here and we’re in a situation where there are people in my own party who are blaming DOJ. How about, blame him?” Mr Christie said.

Several MAGA-aligned Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kari Lake have viciously defended Mr Trump despite the federal indictment charging Mr Trump with 37 counts related to the retention of national defence information.

“He did it. He took documents he wasn’t supposed to take, he kept them when they asked him back for them, they got a grand jury subpoena, he refused to comply, they raided his home finally because he refused to comply – all those things were brought on himself as was this indictment,” Mr Christie added

Chris Christie says a second Trump term would be Trump seeking revenge

14:30 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie warned people that if Donald Trump were to obtain a second presidential term he would act selfishly and use it to get revenge on people he believes wronged him.

“I am convinced that if he goes back to the White House that the next four years will be about him settling scores with everybody who he thinks wasn’t perfectly nice to him,” Mr Christie said during the town hall.

The former New Jersey governor described Mr Trump as “angry” and “completely self-centered.”

Mr Christie added: “If you’re lucky enough to become the president of the United States, every day you should wake up thinking about what to do for the people of this country not what scores you need to settle for yourself.”

Co-founder of Lincoln Project says Christie is a ‘performative’ candidate

15:00 , Ariana Baio

Rick Wilson, a political strategist and co-founder of The Lincoln Project, described Chris Christie as a “performative” candidate.

“Yes, I’m delighted he’s turned his considerable prosecutor’s instincts on Donald Trump. Better late brave than never,” Mr Wilson tweeted.

“But there’s a catch.”

Mr Wilson argues that Mr Christie chose to stand up to Mr Trump because when Mr Trump was president, Jared Kushner refused to give Mr Christie the Attorney General position – driving a rift between Mr Christie and Mr Trump.

“THIS is the singular outrage that made Christie realize Trump is and always has been a threat (sic) to America?” Mr Wilson tweeted.

Christie jokes food in White House would be better if he were president

15:30 , Ariana Baio

During Monday night’s town hall, Chris Christie was asked how being the first Italian-American president would influence his approach to governing.

“As far as being the first Italian-American president, let me guarantee this: the food in the White House will be better,” Mr Christie joked.

“Guarantee the food will be better. For sure.”

Chris Christie says his wife convinced him to run for president again

16:07 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie said his wife, Mary Pat Christie, is the one who urged him to run for president again.

Host Anderson Cooper asked Mr Christie how he told his family and what their reaction was when he made the decision to make a second bid for the White House.

“It was kind of the opposite. It was really Mary Pat making the case to me, why she thought that it was necessary to do it,” Mr Christie said.

The former New Jersey governor said his wife explained he has, “a unique set of skills” that needed to be used in the 2024 election.

“And she was making the argument. So, Anderson, when your wife is making the argument and you’re the candidate, go. Just go. Don’t ask questions, just go,” Mr Christie added.

Christie says Social Security system needs ‘reform'

16:40 , Ariana Baio

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie discussed ways to reform social security during his town hall on Monday night, explaining that it could be beneficial to change the retirement age for younger people.

“You don’t change the retirement age for somebody my age, right? I’m 60, so I’m within eyeshot of that. So, you don’t change it for them,” Mr Christie explained.

“But you can do a lot of good by changing it for people at a younger age.”

“What I’d want to do is sit down with the actuaries and say at each different age point that we would change the retirement age, how much would it save us? And look at that and have a real conversation about it. I mean, look, if you’ve got 20 or 30 years to plan for it, that should be enough to get yourself ready. If you only have four or five years, that’s not fair to do,” Mr Christie added.

ICYMI: Christie mocks ‘loser’ Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’

17:04 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie was in peak form on Monday evening as he laid into former President Donald Trump in his second town hall-style appearance as a presidential candidate.

The governor’s performance on CNN was in many ways a repeat of his initial launch event at St Anselm College in New Hampshire a week earlier. But the governor fine-tuned his attacks over the days ahead of his first cable news spot, and came out swinging against the Republican frontrunner.John Bowden reports:

Christie mocks ‘loser’ Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’

Christie shares his plan for the US southern border

17:30 , Ariana Baio

Former governor and 2024 presidential candidate Chris Christie shared what his plan will be for the US-Mexico border if he were to become president during his town hall on Monday night.

Mr Christie criticised former president Donald Trump’s border policy – saying the steps he took were not sustainable.

“He took temporary steps, but the minute he left office, someone else could change. You know what that is? A bad executive,” Mr Christie explained.

Instead, Mr Christie said he would send the National Guard to the border to deal with the large influx of asylum seekers.

Polls show slight favorability increase for Christie

18:16 , Ariana Baio

After the town hall, Chris Christie’s chances of winning the 2024 presidency remain a long shot, though he may have increased slightly more favorably.

A poll from RealClearPolitics shows Mr Christie going from 1.2 per cent on 12 June to 1.3 per cent on 13 June.

While the small increase may be a result of the ever-changing mood of voters, it may also be a small reflection of Mr Christie’s performance during the CNN town hall on Monday evening.

Other polls with more specific data points may become available in the coming days, lending some better insight into how voter intending to vote Republican feel about the former New Jersey governor.

ICYMI: Chris Christie targets his ‘divisive’ former friend Donald Trump as he sets up bitter 2024 battle

19:15 , Ariana Baio

The battle for the Republican nomination just got a whole lot messier.

That was the defining message of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s campaign launch on Tuesday: get ready for blood.

Calling out his opponents by name, deconstructing their campaign slogans and clever quips — Chris Christie was in prime form on Tuesday evening at St Anselm College in New Hampshire, where he addressed a small crowd of voters in a town hall-style event and put his sights clear on his top rival, Donald Trump.

John Bowden reports:

Chris Christie targets his former friend Trump as he sets up bitter 2024 battle

WATCH: Chris Christie mocks Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’

19:41 , Ariana Baio

Adam Kinzinger says listening to Christie is “therapeutic”

20:31 , Ariana Baio

Former Representative Adam Kinzinger tweeted that listening to Chris Christie talk about Donald Trump was “therapeutic.”

“Listening to Chris Christie tell truth is therapeutic. Trump is a clown,” Mr Kinzinger tweeted on Monday night during the CNN town hall.

Mr Christie laid into Mr Trump, calling him a “loser” and explaining that the former president would be detrimental to Americans if he were elected again.

Chris Christie refutes 2020 election conspiracies

21:00 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie is one of the few well-known Republicans willing to admit that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.

During his CNN town hall on Monday, the former New Jersey governor continued to call out Mr Trump’s conspiracies on the subject, telling the audience members, “There’s no evidence.”

Chris Christie says Trump term would seek revenge in second term

21:30 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie warned people that if Donald Trump were to obtain a second presidential term he would act selfishly and use it to get revenge on people he believes wronged him.

“I am convinced that if he goes back to the White House that the next four years will be about him settling scores with everybody who he thinks wasn’t perfectly nice to him,” Mr Christie said during the town hall.

The former New Jersey governor described Mr Trump as “angry” and “completely self-centered.”

Mr Christie added: “If you’re lucky enough to become the president of the United States, every day you should wake up thinking about what to do for the people of this country not what scores you need to settle for yourself.”

Chris Christie says he feels ‘wholly inadequate’ to take on gun violence

22:00 , Ariana Baio

It’s a rare thing to see politicians say they’re not sure what to do, but that’s just what happened on Monday evening when the father of a victim of the Las Vegas mass shooting asked Chris Christie what he would do to tackle America’s epidemic of mass shootings,

The Republican candidate said his current ability to make a difference at this moment “wholly inadequate.”

“I’m mad because I don’t have a great answer,” the former New Jersey governor said. “I wish I did.”

Mr Christie added that “there’s not a lot more left to do” on the federal level, and called his past support for an assault weapons ban “naïvete.”

The 2024 candidate called for more of a focus on mental health and better policing.

WATCH: Chris Christie raises questions about Joe Biden’s age during CNN town hall

22:30 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie says Trump wanted to pin Covid outbreak on him

23:00 , Ariana Baio

The former New Jersey governor claimed that Mr Trump – who he compared to “Voldemort” – wanted to blame him for supposedly being the “Patient Zero” of a Covid-19 superspreader event.

The two men contracted the virus in 2020, with Mr Christie ending up in the ICU.

While allegedly seeking to pin the blame for the outbreak on Mr Christie, in reality, Mr Trump sought the former governor’s assurance that he would not blame him for infecting those present at a debate preparation session, Mr Christie said.

Mr Trump had tested positive for the virus on the morning of the session but did not disclose it.

Christie calls latest Trump indictment ‘awful’

23:30 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie hammered Donald Trump over his latest criminal indictment.

“The conduct in there is awful,” the former New Jersey governor said during a CNN town hall on Monday. “That’s obstruction of justice if it’s true.”

Mr Christie said he thinks there are probably even worse revelations in store about Mr Trump’s conduct.

“There will guaranteed be a lot more. When you’re a prosecutor, you don’t put every card on the table before the trial,” Mr Christie said.

Chris Christie criticises Republicans defending Donald Trump

00:00 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie urged Republicans who are defending Donald Trump to stop going after the Department of Justice and start holding Mr Trump accountable during his town hall on CNN.

“We’re here and we’re in a situation where there are people in my own party who are blaming DOJ. How about, blame him?” Mr Christie said.

Several MAGA-aligned Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kari Lake have viciously defended Mr Trump despite the federal indictment charging Mr Trump with 37 counts related to the retention of national defence information.

“He did it. He took documents he wasn’t supposed to take, he kept them when they asked him back for them, they got a grand jury subpoena, he refused to comply, they raided his home finally because he refused to comply – all those things were brought on himself as was this indictment,” Mr Christie added