Chris Christie taunts Trump over threat to skip 2024 Republican presidential debates

Chris Christie taunted former President Donald Trump on Wednesday for threatening to skip the first 2024 Republican presidential debates

The former New Jersey governor accused Trump of being scared to face down his rivals in front of a national television audience.

“Obviously, he’s afraid,” Christie said in an interview on conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt’s radio show. “He’s afraid to get on stage with people who are serious.”

“And if he’s afraid, he has no business being president,” Christie added.

Trump has said he is considering skipping one or both of the first two debates organized by the Republican National Committee because he is the frontrunner and does not want to give unnecessary exposure to lesser-known rivals.

But Christie reminded Trump that he’s running to lead the U.S., not “student body president.”

“If he really cares about the country, then he’s going to have to get up there,” Christie said.

Christie has a particular interest in confronting Trump because he is renowned for his debating skills and famously dismantled Sen. Marco Rubio in a 2016.

The first GOP debate is scheduled for August in Milwaukee, a date Trump complains is too early.

A second clash is set for September at the Ronald Reagan Library. Trump objects to the venue because the library’s board is chaired by Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan.

RNC chair Ronna McDaniel has also warned that all participants in GOP debates must commit to backing the party’s eventual nominee, which Trump has so far refused to do.

Trump correctly notes that he is building a massive lead over all comers in the GOP primary.

His lead has grown significantly in recent months as MAGA loyalists rally around his candidacy amid legal woes that many Republicans say are part of a Democratic-led witch hunt.

A new CBS/YouGov poll this week put his support at 56% of GOP voters compared to just 22% for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, with others far behind in low and mid-single digit support.

If Trump does not participate, the debates would likely draw a much smaller audience, potentially limiting the possibility of rivals achieving a breakthrough.

A squabble among his underdog rivals, on the other hand, might reinforce the impression that they are scrambling for his electoral crumbs.