Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to launch presidential campaign next week

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, 1 of erstwhile President Donald Trump's astir vocal Republican critics, is poised to denote his 2024 statesmanlike run adjacent week, a idiosyncratic acquainted with the substance told CNBC connected Wednesday.

Christie, 60, is expected to motorboat his long-shot bid during a municipality hallway lawsuit successful Manchester, New Hampshire, connected Tuesday, said the person, who declined to beryllium named up of the announcement.

The erstwhile governor's announcement is acceptable to travel little than 2 weeks aft Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis officially joined the Republican superior race, becoming a apical rival to Trump, who presently boasts a commanding pb successful the polls.

Of the polls of the prospective superior tract that see Christie, astir amusement him successful the debased azygous digits.

The latest statesmanlike bid marks Christie's 2nd changeable astatine the White House. He ran for the Republican information successful 2016, dropping retired aft placing sixth successful the New Hampshire primary. He endorsed Trump soon thereafter.

But Christie successful caller months has railed against Trump repeatedly and criticized different GOP statesmanlike hopefuls, galore of whom look to beryllium taking pains to debar nonstop struggle with their biggest competition.

"Donald Trump is simply a TV star, thing more, thing less," Christie said last month. "Let maine suggest to you that successful putting him backmost successful the White House, the reruns volition beryllium worse than the archetypal show."

Christie was elected politician of the historically bluish authorities successful 2009 and served for 2 terms, the maximum allowed nether term-limit rules. He gained nationalist attraction arsenic politician for his transportation to the 2013 "Bridgegate" scandal, successful which commuter lanes were unopen down connected the George Washington Bridge connecting New Jersey and New York successful retaliation against a politician who refused to backmost Christie's reelection bid.

The Supreme Court successful 2020 reversed fraud convictions against 2 of Christie's aides who had played cardinal roles successful the scandal.

Allies of the erstwhile politician earlier this week launched a ace PAC, Tell It Like It Is, encouraging him to tally for president. The PAC and members of its enactment squad did not instantly respond to CNBC's requests for remark connected Christie's plans.

Christie is acceptable to present remarks and instrumentality questions from an assemblage astatine a municipality hallway astatine the New Hampshire Institute of Politics astatine Saint Anselm College astatine 6:30 p.m. ET connected Tuesday, according to NBC News. Trump hosted a arguable municipality hallway lawsuit astatine the aforesaid assemblage weeks earlier.

The Republican tract could proceed to turn aft Christie jumps in. Former Vice President Mike Pence said helium volition denote his statesmanlike plans in June, and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said helium volition determine connected a 2024 bid successful the coming weeks.