Key facts
- Christie told Politico he would decide on a 2028 campaign in the next few months.
- Christie said Vice President Vance has no credibility, citing Vance's criticism of the Iran war only.
- Christie accused Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of seeking a way to be relevant.
- Christie said the party needs to look forward to new leadership in the party and country.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is considering a White House run in 2028, telling Politico in an interview published November 6, 2026 that his party should go in "a completely different direction" after sizable midterm losses. He said he would make a decision "in the next few months."
Christie said he sees himself as better positioned to run than other prominent Republicans, specifically Vice President Vance, because he has consistently criticized President Trump during his second term. He called out Vance's post blaming GOP losses on the Iran war, which Vance has publicly supported. "The vice president to me has no credibility," Christie told Politico. "He's been sitting in the White House now for the last two years."
"The Trump era is over," Christie told Politico. "We need to look forward to new leadership in our party and our country." During his 2024 campaign, Christie urged the party to move on from Trump and was one of the only candidates willing to take on the president directly. After ending his campaign, Christie did not endorse a 2024 candidate.
Christie also singled out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, accusing him of seeking "a way to be relevant." "I think the governor is getting ready to leave office, and he's looking for a way to be relevant," Christie said. "And I think he looks like he's talking out of both sides of his mouth."
Other Republicans releasing election postmortems include Texas Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, who criticized their party and encouraged it to focus more on cost-of-living issues. Cruz and Cornyn's home state was the site of political upsets Tuesday as Democrats swept the statewide races. Cruz, also a previous presidential candidate, is considered a possible contender in 2028.