Chris Christie launches seven-figure ad campaign rejecting calls to drop out of race

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is launching a seven-figure ad campaign defending his decision to stay in the presidential race, rejecting calls to drop out due to his low polling numbers.

The ad campaign will debut in New Hampshire on Thursday, according to CNN, which will feature Christie directly responding to calls for him to drop out of the GOP primary and narrow the already crowded field. The seven-figure investment underscores Christie’s efforts to pour resources into the New Hampshire primary next month as his last-ditch effort to gain momentum among GOP voters.

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“Some people say I should drop out of this race. Really? I’m the only one saying Donald Trump is a liar,” Christie says in the 30-second ad. “He’ll burn America to the ground to help himself. Every Republican leader says that in private. I’m the only one saying it in public.”

The ad comes less than four weeks before the first-in-the-nation primary, which typically serves as a testing ground for candidates’ strength and can either lead to a boost for those who have underperformed or lead others to drop out early.

Christie sits in fourth place in the state, at 10%, among Republican candidates ahead of the Jan. 23 primary, trailing behind former President Donald Trump, at 44%, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, at 29%, according to a recent CBS News/YouGov poll. However, he is only slightly behind Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), at 11%, giving him an opportunity to overcome the Florida governor ahead of the primary.

Because of his lower polling numbers, Christie has faced pressure to drop his bid and clear a path for either DeSantis or Haley to defeat Trump for the nomination. But the former New Jersey governor has pushed back against those efforts, arguing he is the only candidate willing to challenge the former president head-on.

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Christie has repeatedly pushed back against calls for him to suspend his campaign but has indicated he would drop his bid if it became increasingly clear he had no path forward. Christie told the Messenger earlier this month that he has voting thresholds in mind for New Hampshire and Iowa, noting if he doesn’t meet those numbers, he’ll forfeit. However, he didn’t reveal what those exact numbers are.

“That’s for me to know. And believe me, you’ll see me react to it. It’s not like you don’t know what I will do. In 2016, I didn’t get to the number I wanted to get to, and I dropped out the next day,” Christie said. “But I don’t think that’s gonna happen. I feel it when I’m out there now interacting with voters.”