Christie on Biden-Trump rematch: ‘I’m not voting for Trump under any circumstances’

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) reiterated his opposition to former President Trump on Thursday, saying he won’t vote for Trump “under any circumstances,” leaving the door open to a reluctant vote for President Biden or a third-party option in November.

Christie made clear in an interview on “The View” that he is no fan of either main party choice for the 2024 general election, but the former presidential candidate affirmed that he would not support the GOP front-runner.

“We have two awful choices here, in my view,” he said. “The only thing I will commit to is: I’m not voting for Trump under any circumstances.”

Christie was Trump’s loudest critic in the 2024 Republican primary, pitching himself as a full-throated anti-Trump candidate. His campaign never caught on, and he dropped out early last month.

He hasn’t endorsed a candidate for the 2024 race, dissing Nikki Haley — the only remaining serious Trump opponent — on his way out of the campaign. Christie dismissively said on a hot mic that Haley is likely to get “smoked” in the primary. He has since admitted that he regrets the comments.

Christie has kept the door open to third party-support, however, both for his vote and even his candidacy. The former governor has been floated as a potential suitor for No Labels, a third-party effort to field a bipartisan “unity” general election ticket.

“Well, what I’ve said in the past is that, I’d have to see a path for anybody — not just me — but I think anybody who would accept that would need to see a path to 270 electoral votes,” Christie said Tuesday. “If there was ever a time in our lifetime when a third-party candidate could make a difference, I think it’s now. The question, though, is what kind of difference.”

He didn’t comment on No Labels specifically, only saying there would be a “long conversation” with his wife if the party offered him a place on the ticket.

Christie criticized No Labels in July, calling its effort a “fool’s errand,” but the group reportedly had conversations with him about a campaign shortly after he dropped out of the GOP race last month.

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), chair of No Labels, said last month that he would love to reach out to Christie and see if he would be interested in running.

“He could be a very strong candidate,” Lieberman said. “That’s the kind of candidate No Labels is looking for.”

No Labels has come under criticism from Biden supporters, arguing that if it runs a “unity” ticket in 2024, it would take away more support from Biden, helping Trump in his comeback bid.