Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is not concerned with earning former rival Chris Christie’s approval.
Asked in an interview this week whether she was hoping for Christie’s endorsement, Haley gave a simple answer — “No.”
“I don’t need it,” she told NewsNation, dismissing her one-time opponent’s relevance in a rapidly shrinking race.
HALEY DIDN’T ASK CHRISTIE FOR HIS ENDORSEMENT IN 2024 RACE BUT SPOKE WITH HIM AFTER HOT MIC DISS
Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations and 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks during a campaign event at The James Theater in Iowa City, Iowa, US, on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. (Alex Scott/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Haley, who finished behind former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Iowa caucuses, is seeking to grow her share of the GOP voter base as the once broad field of candidates finds itself narrowing to three.
Christie, who was making his second bid for the White House, dropped out of the race at a town hall event in Windham, New Hampshire, saying “It’s clear to me tonight that there isn’t a path for me to win the nomination.”
Christie previously faced calls from fellow Republicans and from some voters to end his bid to give Haley a boost as she aims to close the gap with Trump.
Ahead of his announcement on Wednesday, Christie was heard on a microphone, apparently without knowing it, saying that Haley was “going to get smoked” by Trump, who is the commanding front-runner for the nomination.
“She’s not up for this,” he added. Christie also took two digs at Haley during his speech.
Former Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie gestures as he speaks during the fourth Republican presidential primary debate at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
After Christie suspended his campaign, Haley wrote on social media that “Chris Christie has been a friend for many years. I commend him on a hard-fought campaign. Voters have a clear choice in this election: the chaos and drama of the past or a new generation of conservative leadership. I will fight to earn every vote, so together we can build a strong and proud America.”
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Haley — in a Fox News interview last week in Des Moines, Iowa — said that when she wished him well after his campaign suspension, she wasn’t aware of his derogatory comments about her that were caught in a viral hot mic moment.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.
