Chris Christie shuts down talk of an ‘alliance’ with Nikki Haley: ‘Stop’

Former New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie shut down any talk of an “alliance” between him and former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley in the 2024 GOP primary.

After Christie defended Haley against attacks from fellow GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy during Wednesday’s debate, he was asked on CNN’s CNN This Morning whether an alliance between him and Haley was forming. Christie defiantly responded “Stop,” and told the hosts they were “so cynical” for thinking he would only defend Haley for that reason.

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“The intentions you read into it are cynical. How about basic human decency? And that’s all I displayed on the stage last night with Nikki Haley. Look, I disagree with Nikki Haley on a lot of things. I don’t think she is strong enough to take on Donald Trump, I think she is absolutely avoiding doing it. She’s playing prevent defense on the stage last night, trying to protect a lead she doesn’t have.”

“So I have plenty of problems with Nikki, but her basic intelligence is not one of them. In fact, I think she’s a really bright, accomplished woman and she belongs on that stage. But I’m not going to let Vivek Ramaswamy sit there and take broadside shots and say his 3-year-old son knows more than her.”

Christie expanded his criticism of Ramaswamy, saying his comments toward women make him believe that Ramaswamy is a “misogynist.”

“Look, Vivek Ramaswamy is a misogynist. I think that’s the only thing we can conclude when we hear all these comments about women,” Christie said. “He goes at women’s basic intelligence, and I think a lot of women watching that last night felt that’s exactly what he was doing. That’s what I felt, being the husband of a strong, accomplished wife who worked in a very male-dominated business on Wall Street, and I was not going to let it go on anymore.”

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“I don’t think Nikki Haley should be our nominee, and I don’t think she should be president of the United States. But I’ll tell you this, she certainly is a very smart and accomplished woman and she deserves credit for what she’s done in her career, and I’m not going stand there as a good person — my mother taught me better than that — and allow someone like that take those ridiculous shots at her,” he added.

During the debate on Wednesday, Christie consistently went after Ramaswamy, including calling him the “most obnoxious blowhard in America.” The two have sparred frequently during the GOP debates, with Christie branding Ramaswamy as “ChatGPT” in a debate in August.