Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is withdrawing from the race to become the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, according to multiple published reports citing unnamed sources.
The decision will likely be seen as a boost for GOP presidential nominee Nikki Haley, who is trailing front-runner Donald Trump in most polls in key early states.
Supporters of Christie, who has made an effort to position himself as the leading anti-Trump Republican candidate, will likely not turn to Trump but favor Haley instead.
Christie's exit could help Haley, especially in the Jan. 23 primary in New Hampshire, where she has 29% support, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls. Adding Christie's 12% support in the state — which put him in third place — to Haley's level would put her close to Trump's 43% approval rating.
It does not appear that Christie's exit will affect the Iowa caucuses, which are scheduled to be held on Monday. He ranks fifth in that state with just 3% support, according to the RCP's average of Iowa exit polls, behind Trump with 52%, Haley with 17%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with 16%, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy By 7%.
Bloomberg News and NBC News reported that Christie would withdraw, citing unnamed sources. He is scheduled to make remarks at a campaign event in New Hampshire around 5 p.m. ET.
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