Republican 2024 presidential candidate Chris Christie responded Tuesday to former President Trump’s attacks on his weight by challenging the GOP primary front-runner to show up to the debate.
“If you had the guts, you would show up to the debate and say it to my face,” he wrote to the on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Christie, the former New Jersey governor, was responding to comments Trump made while speaking during a rally in New Hampshire on Tuesday night.
“Christie, he’s eating right now. He can’t be bothered,” Trump said at the event Tuesday.
Looking in the direction of someone in the audience, Trump said, “Sir, please do not call him a fat pig.”
“That’s very disrespectful. Don’t call him — see, I’m trying to be nice. Don’t call him a fat pig. You can’t do it. You can’t do that,” the former president continued. “So now, because you’re not allowed to do that, and therefore we’re not going to do it, OK? We want to be very civil.”
Trump has repeatedly mocked Christie’s weight throughout the primary campaign process. The former governor, who ran unsuccessfully against Trump in 2016, has struggled with his weight throughout his life.
Christie, a former ally-turned-critic of Trump’s, has been among the most brazen candidates to take aim directly at the former president, as many others seek to balance criticizing the leading GOP candidate and remaining in his good graces.
Trump has indicated that he is unlikely to join the debate stage when the GOP primary holds the first debate at the end of this month. He cited his commanding lead in the polls as a reason to skip, suggesting a debate would not be worth his time this early on in the primary.
According to the latest Morning Consult numbers Tuesday, Trump has the support of 59 percent of GOP voters in a hypothetical primary. Christie, according to the same data, has the support of 3 percent.
Christie has seen a surge of support in New Hampshire, however. A new poll released Monday of of New Hampshire GOP voters showed Christie tied in second place with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump still led by wide margins.