Chris Christie Caught On Hot Mic Saying Nikki Haley Will ‘Get Smoked’

Topline Former New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie was heard in a livestream announcing the end of his presidential run suggesting former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley “is going to get smoked ,” presumably referencing her chances in the Republican primaries against former President Donald Trump.

Haley is polling one percentage point behind DeSantis as of Wednesday. (Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP) ... [+] (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) Key Facts “She’s going to get smoked, and you and I both know it,” Christie said, adding that Haley has spent “$68 million, just on TV,” which roughly matches her campaign’s spending on TV ads, the New York Times reported.

Christie, who could be heard but not seen in the livestream clip , compared Haley’s spending to that of his and DeSantis’ and asked someone, “who’s punching above their weight, and who’s getting a return on their investment?” Haley said Christie has been her friend for several years in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, commending the former New Jersey governor for a “hard fought campaign” and saying voters have a choice between the “chaos and drama of the past or a new generation of conservative leadership.” DeSantis , who Christie described as “petrified,” chimed in on Christie’s comments on X and said he agreed with him that Haley was “going to get smoked.” Big Number $24 million .

That’s how much money Haley’s presidential campaign raised in the fourth quarter, a figure more than double what it raked in by the end of the third quarter. Key Background Christie’s dropout from the presidential race Wednesday came about seven months after he joined it. He made it a point in his campaign to criticize Trump as a candidate unfit for office, though the former president’s polling numbers have remained high and well above his competitors, according to FiveThirtyEight’s weighted polling average.

Christie failed to make headway in the polls during his run and sat at 3.6 percentage points as of Wednesday, per FiveThirtyEight. Trump holds a commanding 61.3% support in the polling average—well ahead of DeSantis’ 12.5% and Haley’s 11.5%. Further Reading Chris Christie Ending Presidential Campaign (Forbes) Nikki Haley Raises $24 Million—More Than Doubling Previous Haul (Forbes) Nikki Haley Within Single Digits Of Trump In New Hampshire, Latest Poll Shows (Forbes).