Chris Christie brands Trump a ‘lonely, self-serving mirror hog’ as he launches bid to be next president

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie hit out at his former ally Donald Trump while launching his presidential campaign on Tuesday, calling him a “lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog”.

The one-time federal prosecutor kicked off his campaign with a town hall in New Hampshire, Mr Christie made clear his position as someone who is not afraid to criticise the former president.

Going on the attack against Mr Trump within moments of his half-hour speech, Mr Christie said: “A lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog is not a leader.

“The person I am talking about, who is obsessed with the mirror, who never admits a mistake, who never admits a fault, who always finds someone else and something else to blame for whatever goes wrong - but finds every reason to take credit for anything that goes right - is Donald Trump.”

He told the audience at Saint Anselm College that Mr Trump had “made us smaller by dividing us even further and pitting us one against the other.”

Mr Christie, 60, said he had known Joe Biden for decades and that he was a “nice guy”, but said the president is “out of his depth” because “he’s not the guy he used to be,” referencing the 80-year-old Biden’s advanced age.

“The reason I’m going after Trump is twofold,” Mr Christie said. “One, he deserves it. And two, it’s the way to win.”

Mr Christie, who also ran for president in 2016, looks to be a longshot for the White House. A Reuters/Ipsos poll last month showed only one per cent of Republicans said Mr Christie would be their preferred nominee in 2024.

In March, Mr Christie said he would not vote for Mr Trump in 2024 even if the former president was the Republican nominee.

Mr Christie had been a close off-and-on advisor before breaking with the former president over his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election.

The primary field already includes Mr Trump, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and senator Tim Scott of South Carolina. Former vice-president Mike Pence has filed his paperwork to run and is expected to launch his own campaign in Iowa on Wednesday.

Mr Christie recently said in a podcast interview: “I’m not dumb. The way to win is to beat the guy who’s ahead. And so what would a campaign look like? A campaign would look like a direct frontal challenge to Donald Trump trying to return to the presidency.”

His campaign will test the appetite among Republican voters for someone who has expressed support for many of Mr Trump’s policies but has criticised the former president’s conduct.

Other Republicans with similar views, including former Maryland governor Larry Hogan and New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu, have opted against their own campaigns, expressing concerns that having more candidates in the race will only benefit Mr Trump.