On Sunday (May 7), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who is considering a possible bid for the White House, insisted GOP candidates will have to “go through” former President Donald Trump if they want to win the Republican nomination in 2024.
Christie noted, “There’s one lane,” which is led by Trump; therefore, anyone who wants to be the GOP nominee will have “to go through Donald Trump,” expressing his belief that there isn’t “any other way.”
Christie made his comments on ABC’s “This Week,” saying that until another campaign engages Trump, the former President “is untouchable.”
He explained that “by definition,” a candidate is “untouchable until they’re touched,” and you see a reaction to the touch.
Christie also claimed that there is “no question… that [Trump] will be attacked directly.”
Christie also turned his attention to the E. Jean Carroll civil lawsuit, claiming there is a media “vacuum” surrounding the trial that centers on rape allegations against Trump.
He highlighted that Trump didn’t have a “presence anywhere in the media,” emphasizing that the former President didn’t appear at the trial because he didn’t want to answer questions.
Christie continued that at some point, every Candidate has “answer questions” and Trump wasn’t exempt, adding that when that happens, Trump’s “numbers will look different.”
Carroll first made accusations against Trump in 2019, alleging the former President raped her in a New York department store in the 1990s.
Carroll is now pursuing the case in a civil suit alleging sexual battery and defamation, stemming from Trump’s denial of the allegations in a 2022 Truth Social post that criticized the author’s appearance.
