Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is refusing to say if he would support former President Trump’s possible reelection campaign in 2024, instead arguing that it is too early to make such a statement.
Asked by CNN’s Dana Bash if he would support the former president should he lead the GOP ticket in 2024, Christie, a former White House adviser under Trump, would not give a firm answer.
“Oh look, I don’t know that he’s going to run. I don’t know whether I’m going to run,” Christie told Bash during an interview for the episode “Being… Chris Christie,” part of CNN’s “Being…” series, which is set to air on Monday.
A clip of the interview ran Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Trump has not yet announced if he will launch a bid for president in 2024, though he has been publicly flirting with the possibility for months. Indications show that he is leaning closer to throwing his hat in the ring again.
Christie himself is also considering another run for the White House, after his failed attempt in 2016. The former New Jersey governor previously said he will not wait to see if Trump runs before making his own plans for the next presidential election cycle.
When Bash noted the likelihood of another Trump run, Christie still refused to give a firm answer on if he would support the former president.
“He’s seriously considering it. Let’s see what happens when he does. And let’s see who he is and what he says and how he conducts himself,” Christie said.
Pressed again on the question, Christie said, “I’m not gonna to sit here and 2021 and prejudge all this.”
“In 2021, the idea of making predictions for 2024 is folly,” Christie said.
“In all due respect, that sounds like a copout,” Bash said.
“I’m sure you think it’s a copout. But you know what, I also know that there’s no reason to create tumult in a party that already has a lot of tumult in it,” Christie responded.
Christie was a close ally of Trump’s throughout both the 2016 and 2020 campaigns as well as his time in office, though his stance began to shift after he tested positive for COVID-19 following debate prep at the White House.
He has said he was “wrong” to not wear a mask at the White House during the sessions, which likely led to his COVID-19 diagnosis that resulted in a week-long hospital stay.
The former New Jersey governor has since taken a sharp stance against Trump’s claims of election fraud in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.