Chris Christie, fresh from a spirited debate, voters in New Hampshire
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie returned to New Hampshire on Thursday for a series of campaign appearances that quickly began to look more like a victory lap after his performance in the Republican Party’s third debate.
During a series of stops at universities, Mr. Christie told war stories about his moments in the debate spotlight, offering a highlight reel of his zingers against his opponents. Mr. Christie, who has faced calls to drop out of the race from some donors and strategists, won praise for his performance on stage, particularly his series of scathing attacks on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur.
Speaking to students at Keene State College in the western part of the state, Mr. Christie recounted with visible glee a shouting match with Mr. DeSantis, who dodged a question about Mr. Trump’s suitability to be president. Mr. DeSantis, he suggested, was eager to move past the question quickly. Mr. Christie said he wouldn’t allow it.
“All he wants is for the red light to come on for us, which means he can stop,” Mr Christie said, adding. “When the light comes on, he stops and breathes a sigh of relief, like, Oh my God, thank God it’s over. But that wasn’t the case, because there is still a living person on stage. And I said, ‘He doesn’t answer the question.’
Mr Christie cast the debate as a crucial moment in a race that is entering its final stages before voting in January. “I’m telling you now: I will be the last person to stand against Donald Trump,” he said. ‘There won’t be any place for him to hide. And then you will be more entertained than you have ever been in your entire life.
Mr. Christie does wide behind his rivals, which is ranked third in New Hampshire polls. He has staked his candidacy on a strong attack on Mr. Trump, but has struggled to find an audience among Republican primary voters for that message. He seized the opportunity on stage Wednesday, portraying Mr. Trump as a step away from a thug and attacking the other Republican presidential candidates for their unwillingness to criticize the former president.
In an interview, Mr. Christie said he was personally offended by Mr. Ramaswamy’s attacks on Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina, as corrupt, unintelligent and inauthentic.
“Who would think that someone would be stupid enough to say that Nikki Haley wasn’t as smart as his three-year-old son,” Christie said in an interview. “When I heard that, I have to tell you the truth, I thought: I’m not going to let him get away with that.”
Whether his energetic performance could give Mr. Christie a chance to make gains among voters most sympathetic to his anti-Trump crusade remains to be seen.
At Franklin Pierce University, Mr. Christie solicited the votes of the faculty and students in attendance — even high school students, some of whom were too young to vote in January’s primary.
“I urge you to register and participate. But I have to give you a reason to participate,” Mr. Christie said.
Mr. Christie discussed his policy priorities, including expanding treatment options for people with mental health problems, tackling the opioid epidemic and cutting spending to reduce inflation.
But even among a group that tends to lean Democratic, Mr. Christie has faced challenges and criticism. In his appearances, Mr. Christie embraced conservative views that typically disenergize college students. He did not support banning semiautomatic rifles or broadly canceling student debt. He told a young audience at Keene State College that he is “an unapologetic and complete advocate for parental rights” when it comes to the issue of transgender youth.
As he addressed a packed room in a dorm at Keene State College, protesters outside holding signs supporting abortion, immigration and Palestine mocked him — dancing, playing music and occasionally banging on the glass windows behind him. One member of the audience tried to use the town hall’s final question to ask why Mr Christie wears his trousers so high.
“You know, that’s an example of one of the reasons why political candidates are sometimes reluctant to come to college campuses,” said Mr. Christie, declining to answer the question.
Yet he found some supporters among the packed halls. Allison Keyson, 19, a student at Keene State College, said she was torn between supporting Mr. Christie and Ms. Haley.
“His career is quite inspiring to me. It’s kind of what I’d like to do. I am going to study law, and I would also like to go into politics,” said Ms Keyson, a registered independent. “He is definitely an inspiring candidate.”