While Speaking to supporters in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Donald Trump dissed Chris Christie, his former friend and current GOP primary opponent, with a cheap fat joke right out of an elementary school playground.
And because this is how 2023 is going, a couple of hours later, Christie responded in kind: “If you had the guts you would show up to the debate and say it to my face.”
In a clip, shared by Christie himself on Twitter, Trump appeared to respond to a question from the audience, saying “No, Christie, he’s eating right now. He can’t be bothered.”
It didn’t stop there of course. After a pause while the crowd laughed at the joke, Trump pointed to someone in front of him in feigned chastisement and said, “Sir, please do not call him a fat pig. That’s very disres — don’t call him — See, I’m trying to be nice. Don’t call him a fat pig. You can’t do, you can’t do that.”
He added, “So now, because you’re not allowed to do that, therefore, we’re not going to do it, okay? We want to be very civil, right?”
And well, you know Christie’s response:
Of course, Christie’s come-back is likely not just about the diss itself. Trump has repeatedly suggested that he won’t participate in any of the upcoming GOP 2024 primary debates. Most recently, he dismissed them as nothing more than a contest between his potential running mates.
“Let them debate so I can see who I MIGHT consider for Vice President,” he said on July 31.
Unfortunately for Trump’s GOP opponents (and potentially the country?), that arrogance is backed up by data. Despite his multiple criminal indictments, or perhaps because of them, Trump is the overwhelming front-runner for the Republican nomination.
And it’s not even close, especially for Christie himself. According to a recent New York Times/Sienna poll of likely Republican voters, Trump enjoys 54% support, while his closest rival, if you can call Ron DeSantis that, polls at only 17%. None of the other declared candidates have more than 3% support, including Christie, who tied for dead last with Vivek Ramaswamy.
Which is to say, barring a conviction that sends Trump to prison, the best chance his would-be rivals might have to get some traction against him is to debate him. We’ll see if the thrice-indicted ex-president bites.