Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) claimed Wednesday that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is “going in the wrong direction,” in the GOP presidential polls.
“We feel like it’s really moving in our direction,” Christie said in an interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier. “Our momentum is going the right way; Governor DeSantis is going in the wrong direction.
Christie was asked about recent New Hampshire GOP primary polling from from RealClearPolitics, which shows former President Trump with 41.7 percent support, DeSantis with 17.7 percent and Christie and Sen.Tim Scott (S.C.) tied for third place with 6.7 percent.
In response, he cited another recent NH Journal/co-efficient poll that found Trump receiving 43 percent in the state, with Christie and DeSantis tied in second place at 9 percent.
“So our first job is to get past Gov. DeSantis in New Hampshire,” Christie said. “Now, we need to pass him. And then we’re going to take on Donald Trump, one-on-one.”
While DeSantis has mostly polled in second place in the Republican primary since before even launching his campaign, the Florida governor’s numbers have sagged in the past few weeks, trailing far behind the former president. Trump continues to lead in the national GOP polls by wide margins, with a recent Morning Consult poll showing him with 59 percent, DeSantis with 16 percent and Christie tied with Scott and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
When confronted with Trump’s lead in the polls, Christie said, “Look, and the campaign hasn’t begun yet, Bret.”
“The campaign is going to begin when you and Martha [MacCallum] get on that stage with the rest of us two weeks from tonight,” he continued, referencing the first Republican presidential primary debate, which is set for later this month.
“The idea that the American people are really focused on this race right now, in the middle of vacation season in August around America, is kind of silly,” Christie added.
Trump has previously signaled he is unlikely to attend the first debate, arguing that his strong polling as the GOP front-runner means he does not need to debate the other candidates.
“The difference it makes is for the Republican voters, because it shows his complete lack of respect for Republican voters,” Christie said. “He thinks, because he won the nomination twice, that it’s his.”
“And he thinks that these numbers actually mean they approve of what he did, when, in essence, it’s just that he’s the best-known person in this race,” he added.
The first GOP presidential debate will take place Aug. 23 in Milwaukee and will air on Fox News, with Baier and anchor MacCallum as co-moderators.