Chris Christie accuses Trump of hiding behind the Secret Service to dodge debating him
Trump is using the US Secret Service as a forcefield against GOP rivals, claims former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
The Republican presidential candidate took a jab at Former President Donald Trump for intentionally relying on his security detail to duck any challenges, from dodging debates, a reduced rally schedule, court problems, his record and other issues.
"His campaign is using the Secret Service to keep people away," Christie said during an appearance on CNN's "The Source" with Kaitlan Collins.
Christie talked about how he tried to make good on a public dare from September accusing Trump of being too yellow to participate in any of the GOP debates, and that he would track him down at one of his public pitstops around the country and call him out before his MAGA base.
"What we're basically going to have to do is go to public events of his and try to confront him," Christie said at the time.
Since then, the former Garden State governor hasn't backed off; and claims he even tried to crash Trump's event to secure himself on the 2024 presidential ballot in the critical bellwether state of New Hampshire.
"I've tried. I tried in New Hampshire," he said. "I was shut out of the building in New Hampshire the day he registered for the ballot."
Christie appears to be referring to Oct. 23, when Trump formally filed the requisite paperwork in Concord, New Hampshire, to be on the ballot for the 2024 contest.
"His campaign closed the entire statehouse along with the Secret Service and said 'Only people invited by the Trump campaign could go into the building,'" according to Christie.
Trump has so far been a no-show at every GOP primary debate contest and yet still enjoys a comfortable lead in the national polls.
Being denied a chance to take on Trump convinced him that the former president was too scared to debate him.
Trump pulled out of the second presidential debate as well in 2020. There was speculation about him not liking the format of answering American's questions. Former GOP chairman Michael Steele assumed it was because Trump couldn't dominate the discussion, which he couldn't in the GOP primary debates either.
"Unless you're willing to kiss his rear end, you can't get anywhere near him," he said. "That just shows how afraid he is of seeing me face-to-face and confronting his record and his failure on behalf of the country."