Chris Christie’s ‘weakest moment’: Moderators let GOP debate descend into chaos
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took aim Thursday at Fox News’ Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, saying they failed to control a rambunctious first Republican primary debate the previous evening.
“I think the weakest moment for me was the weakest moment for everybody, Poppy, which was that that stage was completely out of control,” Christie told “CNN This Morning” co-host Poppy Harlow. “And I’m disappointed that the moderators didn’t play a stronger hand in controlling what was going on.”
“There were a couple of folks on stage last night who felt they could go over time, every time — that they could interrupt and had a right to speak on every issue,” Christie added. “And that’s where the moderators have to say ‘no’ and shut them down. And that didn’t, that didn’t happen.”
“I asked for your weakness,” Harlow chided Christie, “but I don’t think you’re going to answer that. You did get the second-most talk time. I’ll just say that.”
Christie was no stranger to interrupting during the verbal bout.
At one point, as entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy was finishing up a point about climate change, Christie cut off Baier, the channel’s chief political anchor.
“I’ve had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT standing up here,” Christie snarled toward Ramaswamy.
About 75 minutes into the debate, Baier and MacCallum were forced to jump in and remind the candidates to listen for and honor the bell that would signal their time to speak was done.
At times during the rhetorical showdown, Christie was showered with boos from audience members irked by his unabashed criticism of former President Donald Trump, who was a no-show at the debate.
“Not every Republican primary voter in America was in the arena,” Christie told CNN when asked about the jeers, later adding: “You can’t be looking to play to the grandstands.”
That was not the first time Christie has provoked groans on the campaign trail. Back in June, he was booed at a Faith and Freedom Coalition event when he dissed Trump.
But Christie has been unwavering in the face of such unrest.
Perhaps the most talked-about candidate at the first Republican debate was Ramaswamy, whom most polls show in third place in the primary race, but Christie was adamant that he isn’t the future of the party.
“This is a guy who’s barely ever voted and now he wants to insult all of us who have been giving to the public, been in public life for decades,” he said, “while he’s been sitting in the sidelines pouting and not voting or participating.”
“He’s not polling higher than me in New Hampshire, where I’m at 14% and in second place. And that’s why these national polls are so silly,” Christie said.
The RealClearPolitics polling average has Christie in third place in the Granite State at 8%, trailing Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Nationally, the former New Jersey Gov. is seventh in the RCP average.
