Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he is recanting the support he gave Donald Trump in his first run for president: “I was wrong.”
The admission came in a new digital ad in which Christie, now an ardent critic of Trump, bluntly begins: “I have an admission to make."
"Eight years ago when I decided to endorse Donald Trump for president, I did it because he was winning, and I did it because I thought I could make him a better candidate and a better president," Christie says in the pitch.
"Well, I was wrong; I made a mistake."
According to Axios, the ad is part of a seven-figure buy involving direct-to-camera advertisements the Christie campaign is pushing in New Hampshire ahead of its Jan. 23 presidential primary.
Christie's team says it's targeting ads this week to areas where rival Nikki Haley is hosting town halls.
"We will continue to do so as we make the contrast in style and willingness to the tell the truth as clear for voters as possible," a Christie spokesperson told Axios.
In the new pitch, Christie compares the current White House race to the 2016 run, when he endorsed Trump.
"Donald Trump is ahead in the polls and so everyone says, 'Anyone who's behind him should drop out, and we should make our choice: Donald Trump versus Joe Biden.'"
"Neither choice is acceptable to me, and it shouldn't be acceptable to you,” he declares.
Polls last month showed Christie trailing Nikki Haley and Trump in New Hampshire, according to Real Clear Politics.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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