Some attendees of the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Policy event booed former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during his speech Friday after the presidential hopeful used the opportunity to diss former President Donald Trump.
Christie, a critic of Trump, pointed to the former president during his speech, asserting that Trump is the reason he is running to be commander-in-chief.
“Why am I running for president of the United States? I’m running because [Trump’s] let us down. He has let us down because he’s unwilling — he’s unwilling to take responsibility for any of the mistakes that were made,” Christie told the then-silent crowd.
“Any of the faults that he has, and any of the things that he’s done,” he continued as some members of the crowd became audibly disgruntled.
“And that is not leadership, everybody. That is a failure of leadership,” Christie, who worked on Trump’s initial transition team, pressed on as the crowd booed him.
“And I— you can boo all you want, but here’s the thing. Our faith teaches us that people have to take responsibility for what they do. People have to stand up and take accountability for what they do,” Christie pressed on, garnering a small applause from some in the audience after others booed him.
“I cannot stand by, and as soon as I’ve started to be critical. after all of that, they offered me White House Chief of Staff, now what he does is call me names. And belittle me,” Christie added.
Christie has continued to make Trump a central target of his presidential campaign, describing him as a “failed leader” and “loser, loser, loser.”
Prior to Christie’s speech, a trump supporter’s photo went viral, showcasing the presidential hopeful snoozing on a plane.
Recent surveys show Christie at the bottom of the pack and Trump continuing to dominate as the clear frontrunner in the GOP primary, despite criticisms from his challengers and an indictment. This week’s Morning Consult survey showed Trump with 57 percent support, while Christie garnered just three percent.
Further, a recent survey from the Economist/YouGov found a majority of Republicans viewing Christie unfavorably — 56 percent.
According to the Hill, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) “received some of the largest applause early on during the event when he said he would be endorsing Trump in 2024.” Trump thanked the gubernatorial hopeful on Truth Social.
“THANK YOU LT. GOV. MARK ROBINSON! WE WILL NOT LET NORTH CAROLINA DOWN. MAGA!!!” Trump exclaimed.