On Wednesday, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) claimed that former President Donald Trump was too scared to enter the GOP’s primary debate. Christie, who was formerly one of Trump’s allies, argued that the GOP should hold multiple debates in an “open format.” During an interview with conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt, Christie argued that this format which allows for follow-up questions would stop candidates from being able to give short and superficial answers that do not actually help provide solutions.
Trump has previously claimed that as the frontrunner in the 2024 GOP primary according to most recent polls, he did not see why he should participate in the primary debates, and was unlikely to attend the first two debates.
Christie, however, has urged the former President to participate, stating that he was “sorry to see” that Trump was afraid to take the stage for fear of the judgment he will face. He proceeded to argue that if the things that Trump claims about his ideas and leadership skills being great are indeed true then he should not be afraid to join the debate and defend his position.
He further added that people should question why Trump was unwilling to participate in the debate, and argued that Trump might not have solutions to offer to the key issues the country is facing.
Christie has previously noted that he is thinking about potentially joining the presidential race in 2024. During the interview with Hewitt, he revealed that he was planning on making a decision on whether or not he would join the rate within the next couple of weeks.
