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FORMER NEW JERSEY governor Chris Christie has filed paperwork formally launching his bid for the Republican nomination for US president ahead of a town hall event in New Hampshire.
Christie has cast himself as the only candidate in the field willing to directly take on former president Donald Trump.
The campaign will be the second for the former governor and federal prosecutor, who lost to Trump in 2016 and went on to become a close on-and-off adviser before breaking with the former president over his refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election.
Christie enters a growing primary field that already includes Trump, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and US Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina.
Former vice president Mike Pence will be formally launching his own campaign in Iowa tomorrow.
Christie, who during his time as New Jersey’s governor established a reputation as a fighter with a knack for creating viral moments of confrontation, faces an uphill battle to the nomination in a party that remains closely aligned with the former president, despite Trump’s re-election loss in 2020.
Christie has cast himself as the only person with the guts to take on Trump directly and has warned of a repeat of 2016 if candidates fail to confront him.
“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,” Christie recently said in a podcast interview.
Anti-Trump Republicans are particularly eager to see Christie spar with Trump on a debate stage – if, of course, Trump agrees to participate in primary debates and Christie meets the stringent fundraising criteria set by the Republican National Committee for participation.
But Christie has also said he would not run as a kamikaze candidate to take down Trump if he did not believe there was a viable path to his own victory.
“I’m not a paid assassin,” he recently told Politico.
His campaign will test the appetite among Republican voters for someone who has expressed support for many of Trump’s policies but has criticised the former president’s conduct.
Christie has rejected Trump’s lies that the 2020 election was stolen and has urged the party to move on or risk future losses.
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 Trump.
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My local shop already put his cigarettes up the 50 cent. I had the pleasure of telling him I’d go somewhere else. He’s a creepy little FF councillor.
maybe you should quit smoking
Maybe you should shed a few
Ha! I’m sure he’s absolutely gutted you had the pleasure of wasting 10 euros of your money on fags somewhere else
It’s better than the many thousands your parents wasted on your education and upbringing John.
Easy – report them and ensure you have a receipt.
No such twitter account! FF ? What bullshit
You couldn’t of said it better. If only they knew I already know everything they could have saved a few quid on schools and colleges. Well at least I suppose me lungs are good and don’t have to waste tons a money destroying them:) I must be clever or something. Enjoy the 50 cent you saved today:) you must be thrilled;)
It’s been a long day for all of us, hasn’t it. Group hug?
Can someone explain the logic of the Christmas bonus? if a person is on disability and unable to work then fair enough, same for oap’s. But why the he’ll are the rest of us going to work to cover a Christmas bonus for career dole dossers??
Early childcare and education scheme for 3 year olds to 5 1/2 years. When does this begin?
September 2016
Bang goes my vote then! If it came in in January I would have got some benefit out of it but my young lad is due to start his one and only year of ECCE in September
Sandra, is it not enough that other people will benefit?
People used to fight in wars on the basis that future generations (i.e. Us) would have their freedom, despite knowing that they were facing almost certain death.
€50m to commemorate the Easter rising? Surely would be much wiser to spend it on taking homeless off the streets / investing in healthcare / affordable housing etc etc
Nothing in the budget for single people, it’s all families and the same mullarkey every year from the government! How are we supposed to save money for mortgages for the start we need to settle and make a life for ourselves? Sure every cent we earn is gone to the government and tax man! And €50 million for the Easter rising celebrations….come on would ya? Get some party food in aldi like instead of taking more money out of our pockets and having plush parties! Seriously would consider leaving Ireland to work abroad and tell all my colleagues to do the same! Once proud to call Ireland home but ye have screwed us once again!! And when ye come canvassing again for the general election, walk the other direction the lot of ye. Each party in the dail is as bad as the other. Let the ordinary individuals who work hard to let ye throw money about the place take over altogether! We are the ones who stayed thru the hardship and suffered to let ex government ministers have massive pensions! Enda Kenny…..get out of government now!!!
If child is currently in preschool and I’m paying for it this year and free year next year, will the announcement of second free year not benefit children who are currently started in the system? Ie- am I going to have to continue paying preschool fees for him for this year?? Reallllly would like an answer on this!! Thx!
No. I’m in same position. have to pay exorbitant childcare for another 11 months. They could have announced it next year for all the good it will do.
Isn’t LPT changes not until 2019….
50 million on the easter rising is ridiculous. It should of gone towards sorting out the homeless crisis. Priorities are all mixed up.
Does anyone know if they changed the price of medication? TIA
i thought the social welfare bonus was coming in for this xmas no?
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