Christie says in a new ad that he was wrong to support Trump in 2016

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he was wrong to support Donald J. Trump in 2016 in a new ad released Thursday.

“I have a confession to make,” Mr. Christie said directly to the camera the 60 second ad, part of a series covering his campaign in New Hampshire, where he has staked his campaign on a strong showing. “Eight years ago, when I decided to support Donald Trump for president, I did it because he was winning, and I did it because I thought I could make him a better candidate and a better president. Well, I was wrong. I have made a mistake.”

Mr. Christie endorsed Mr. Trump in 2016 after he ended his own presidential campaign, becoming a powerful surrogate. His campaign argues that while several Republicans who previously supported Mr. Trump are now running against him for the party’s nomination, Mr. Christie is the only one willing to say he made a mistake by supporting Mr. Trump in the first place. He suggested in the ad that this was a testament to his ‘character’.

“Now we are faced with the same choice again,” he said in the ad was first reported by Axios. “Donald Trump is leading in the polls, so everyone is saying, ‘Anyone behind him should drop out, and we should make our choice between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.’ Well, Joe Biden has implemented the wrong policies and Donald Trump would sell the soul of this country. Neither choice is acceptable to me, and neither should it be acceptable to you.”

In recent weeks, a growing number of Republicans — most notably Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire — have called on Mr. Christie to end his campaign. Their argument is not for a rematch between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden, but rather to narrow the field of Mr. Trump’s leading opponents to a single candidate who can defeat him and prevent such a rematch.

Mr. Sununu and many Republican donors and strategists think Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, should be the nominee.

Mr. Christie is polling better in New Hampshire than in other early voting states – he is average about 11 percent there, good enough for third place, ahead of Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida — but still well behind Ms. Haley, who herself is well behind Mr. Trump. Mr. Christie says Ms. Haley does not sufficiently distinguish herself from the former president.

Mr. Sununu’s endorsement of Ms. Haley last month was a blow to the Christie campaign. He followed it up a few weeks later by declaring that Mr. Christie’s bid was “at an absolute dead end” and suggesting that his continued presence in the race would only help Mr. Trump.