Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie argued that former President Donald Trump will sign the Republican National Committee’s loyalty pledge following the former president’s claims that he wouldn’t sign it.
The RNC has made its “Beat Biden” pledge a requirement for qualifying candidates to take part in the first GOP primary debate on Aug. 23. The loyalty pledge calls on candidates to support the Republican Party’s eventual presidential nominee in 2024.
The former New Jersey governor, on ABC’s “This Week,” told host Jon Karl that he believes the RNC would keep the GOP frontrunner off the debate stage if he doesn’t sign the loyalty pledge before criticizing the “nonsensical theater” of the requirement.
“We don’t know how much he would have respected the loyalty pledge even after having signed it,” said Christie, who noted Trump’s past refusal on the pledge in 2016.
“So, look, I think this is all kind of nonsensical theater. I’ve made that clear to the RNC, as well, way back, even before I entered the race, that I thought the pledge was a bad idea and Donald Trump is now playing that game but that’s what he does. You know this, Jon. He plays misdirection all the time.”
Christie, who has previously expressed concern over the requirement, told Karl that he hasn’t been presented with the loyalty pledge but expects to see it “at some point” in the next week.
Several candidates have signed the requirement ahead of the debate including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, ex-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Trump, who indicated that he’d make an announcement on the loyalty pledge this week, pushed back at the requirement in a recent Newsmax interview as he noted that there were “three to four people” he wouldn’t support for president.
Christie told Karl that he wouldn’t be “the least bit surprised” if Trump signs the loyalty pledge just days ahead of the debate.
“He might not, also, but I would not be the least surprised if he did,” Christie said.
“This is about Donald Trump keeping the attention on Donald Trump and he’s doing pretty well because in the first question this morning we’re talking about him and that’s what he likes.”
You can watch more of Christie’s appearance on “This Week” in the clip below.