Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie suggested he was unfazed by boos during Wednesday night’s GOP primary debate.
The presidential candidate told CNN on Thursday that his best debate-stage moment was when he “told the truth about Donald Trump.” Christie is Trump’s loudest critic in the primary field, and one of few candidates willing to challenge the former president at all.
“Why do you think that was your best moment to get Republican primary voters to vote for you, when you had really loud boos every time you did that?” CNN’s Poppy Harlow asked Christie.
“Well, because not every Republican primary voter in America was in the arena,” Christie answered. “And because you can’t be looking to play to the grandstands, Poppy, when I was truly was talking to the people, the tens of millions of people who were watching in their living rooms.”
“The fact is, if you’re not going to talk about that, then then then why bother running? You should just concede the race to Donald Trump, which is what a lot of people did on the stage last night,” he added.
Of the eight candidates who participated in the debate, Christie was one of two who said they would not support Trump as a nominee even if he was convicted in any of the four indictments he faces. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson was the other.
“Whether or not you believe that the criminal charges are right or wrong, the conduct is beneath the office of president of the United States,” Christie said after the audience booed him.
Later on Thursday, Trump surrendered to authorities in Georgia, where he faces racketeering and conspiracy charges over an alleged “criminal enterprise” to change the state’s 2020 election results.
Watch the CNN interview below.