Chris Christie Goes Straight To Camera With Direct Message For Trump At GOP Debate

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) addressed Donald Trump’s glaring absence from the second Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election cycle on Wednesday evening in California.

Asked how he would respond to crime, Christie pointed out that Trump should have been at the debate to answer the question and proceeded to stare straight into the camera to address the former president.

“Donald, I know you’re watching. You can’t help yourself. I know you’re watching,” Christie said. “And you’re not here tonight — not because of polls and not because of your indictments — you’re not here tonight because you’re afraid of being on the stage and defending your record.”

Trump had previously said that he would be skipping the Republican debates. He was absent from the first one, which occurred a week after he was indicted in Georgia for charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in that state. Trump also decided not to join the other GOP candidates in the second debate because of his early lead in polls, The Associated Press reported.

Christie continued to take a dig at the former president, saying, “You’re ducking these things. And let me tell you what’s going to happen: You keep doing that, no one up here is going to call you Donald Trump anymore. We’re gonna call you Donald Duck.”

Later that evening, Christie posted a GIF on X (formerly known as Twitter) of the cartoon character laughing.

Christie, a former adviser to Trump, has become one of his loudest Republican critics. At last month’s GOP presidential debate, candidates were asked whether they’d support Trump as a nominee, and most of the candidates raised their hands. But Christie criticized the former president as he shook his finger and said that Trump’s conduct is “beneath the office of president of the United States.”