Chris Christie says he won't run against Trump on a third-party ticket

WASHINGTON — Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a vocal critic of Donald Trump, said Wednesday that he won’t run against the former president on a third party ticket. 

His latest remarks come after his team had spent several weeks testing out a potential run with the bipartisan centrist organization, No Labels, according to the Washington Post. 

“I appreciate the encouragement I’ve gotten to pursue a third party candidacy.  I believe we need a country that once again feels like everyone has a stake in what we're doing and leadership that strives to bring people together, instead of using anger to divide us,” Christie said on X, formerly Twitter. 

“While I believe this is a conversation that needs to be had with the American people, I also believe that if there is not a pathway to win and if my candidacy in any way, shape or form would help Donald Trump become president again, then it is not the way forward,” he added. 

Critics of No Labels have said that the group's ticket could act as a spoiler for Biden and Trump, taking away votes from both candidates.

Christie's decision comes after he previously told former President Barack Obama adviser David Axelrod on his podcast “The Axe Files” that he’d do whatever he could to make sure the country doesn’t go through “the misery of a second Trump term.”

“I wouldn’t preclude anything at this point, David,” he said, in response to a direct question about whether he was considering a run. “I would just say that there are a number of hurdles to get over before I would actually consider running as a third party.”

Christie, who ran against Trump in the 2024 Republican primary, repeatedly blasted the former president as a threat to democracy. Trump, the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party, is expected to face off against President Joe Biden once again in November.

Contributing: Karissa Waddick