CONCORD, N.H. — Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has already distinguished himself in the GOP primary as a sharp and consistent critic of former President Donald Trump. But in recent weeks, Christie has expanded his attacks to include more members of the primary field — with South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott seeing the clearest uptick in attacks from Christie.
At two campaign events in New Hampshire on Monday, Christie criticized Scott for remarks he made on Friday regarding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. “I don’t hold the former president who didn’t show up at the Capitol and threatened my life as responsible,” Scott told New Hampshire’s WMUR. “The former president did not threaten my life.”
Christie called those remarks “disappointing.”
“Tim Scott said what he said [Sunday] for the hope that he can pander some people who currently support Donald Trump, and, he thinks, may leave Donald Trump after all these indictments and then they’ll look at Tim and say ‘well, Tim didn’t say bad things about Donald Trump. So maybe I’ll vote for him.’ That’s wrong,” Christie said.
Christie has insisted his new-found snipes at Scott are a reaction to what he says and not a change in strategy.
“I don’t see Tim as a particular threat or not,” Christie told reporters following his New Hampshire event. “When he says that, you know the president’s not responsible for Jan. 6, I can’t not say something about that. It’s ridiculous and Tim is better than that. And that’s why I said ‘disappointing.’”
Christie brought his criticisms of Scott to the senator’s home state of South Carolina, suggesting at a Friday town hall in Greenville that his experience as New Jersey’s top executive makes him better suited than Scott to run the country.
“I think he’s a good man. And I think he tries his very best every day for the people of this state and for the country,” Christie said. “I just think I’m better qualified, having been a governor for eight years, than he is having been in the legislature. And someday he and I may have to have that argument.”
Christie’s criticism of Scott comes as polling suggests the South Carolina senator’s standing is on the rise in early primary states.
A University of New Hampshire poll of likely primary voters shows Scott in third place with 8%, contending with Christie for top position in the state behind Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Additionally, a pair of Fox Business polls found Scott’s standing on the rise in both Iowa and South Carolina.
Christie has levied attacks against his other 2024 rivals in recent days.
On Monday at a round table with local business leaders in Manchester, New Hampshire, Christie criticized Nikki Haley and other candidates for not calling out Donald Trump.
“He’s like Voldemort in the Harry Potter books, he who shall not be named. The other candidates won’t even name him.” Christie said. “Nikki Haley says, ‘the candidates who’s about the past.’ Nikki, it’s okay. Save his name. It’s alright.”
He also criticized DeSantis’ ongoing battle with Bud Light parent company InBev during his South Carolina town hall Friday.
“Governor DeSantis is now saying that he wants to bring a lawsuit on behalf of Florida pension holders against InBev beverages because of the decisions that Bud Light made on their advertising and maybe it affected the value of the stock,” Christie said. “Let me tell you something. You all have rendered the verdict on Bud Light. You didn’t like your advertising, you stopped buying their beer. You don’t need the government in there making these decisions for you about what you like or what you don’t like.”
