Today, news broke that former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie would announce to his supporters at a town hall that he would be dropping out of the 2024 Republican Primary. But a hot mic caught some campaign gossip beforehand.
A YouTube stream for people to watch the announcement played some interesting audio before Christie took the stage. As viewers were tuned in, Christie's mic turned on while the screen was still advertising the upcoming live stream, capturing his uncensored thoughts on one of his primary opponents, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
"She's gonna get smoked," Christie said. It's unclear if he was referring to her prospects in Monday's Iowa caucus or the primary overall, but he added, "You and I both know she's not up to this."
He also dissed her spending, compared to his.
"She spent $68 million so far ... Who is getting a return on their investment?" referencing his campaign ad buys, which he said were around $12 million.
"You know we're right," Christie said apparently about his campaign messaging, "but [people] don't want to hear it."
He added that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called him, about Iowa, "petrified" seemingly about his chances in the caucus next week, with Christie saying that former President Donald Trump was definitely going to win the state.
As the news of the hot mic moment started to pop up online, Christie's team pulled the stream.
