A video featuring former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie criticizing Donald Trump’s endorsement of North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson has gained considerable traction online since Sunday.
Robinson, currently the GOP lieutenant governor, has been a prominent figure at Trump’s campaign events. However, his campaign faced turmoil after a CNN report surfaced, claiming he made racist and sexist comments on a pornographic website over ten years ago. Robinson has denied these allegations, insisting he remains in the race.
“Whatever Josh Stein [and] the Democrats say about Mark Robinson is either a blatant lie or taken out of context,” said Robinson’s spokesperson, Lonergan. “North Carolinians are tired of the deception from career politicians like Josh Stein, and they’ll elect Mark Robinson as governor on November 5.”
In a Sunday chat on ABC News’ This Week, Christie, a long-time Trump critic, addressed Robinson’s campaign and Trump’s backing of him.
“This outcome was expected. Mark Robinson has frequently made erratic and offensive remarks in public, yet Donald Trump chose to endorse him. He even compared him to Martin Luther King Jr. on steroids,” Christie noted.
He added, “This presents a challenge for Republicans. As long as Trump continues to endorse candidates in swing states, we risk losing critical races. Mark Robinson isn’t poised to win this one, regardless of the circumstances.”
Christie’s comments, shared on X (formerly Twitter) by journalist Aaron Rupar, racked up over 405,000 views and 9,500 likes by early Sunday afternoon.
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During a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Saturday, Trump did not mention Robinson, focusing instead on other Republicans from the state, including Senator Ted Budd and Representative Dan Bishop.
In response to CNN’s report, the Trump campaign released a general statement about the importance of North Carolina in their strategy for a successful Trump reelection, but refrained from mentioning Robinson directly.
Trump narrowly won North Carolina in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, with recent polls indicating that Democrats are eager to sway the state in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris, who trails Trump by only 0.2 points at 47.5 to 47.3 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight’s aggregate polling.
Christie’s commentary comes amid his declaration that he won’t support Trump in the 2024 election but remains undecided about his vote.
Earlier this month on The View, when asked by co-host Sunny Hostin if he might vote for Harris, Christie praised her debate performances yet emphasized, “I’m still an undecided voter.”
He continued, “I get that you want me to announce my choice, but I can say confidently that Donald Trump is not it.”
Christie’s relationship with Trump has been complicated; despite earlier support, he has increasingly criticized Trump’s grip on the Republican Party. Running for the presidency himself, Christie aims to provide an alternative direction for the party.
In January, he exited the race with the intent of boosting fellow Republican candidate Nikki Haley’s chances, stating his commitment to prevent Trump from reclaiming the presidency.