MANCHESTER – Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced his bid for president at a town hall at Saint Anselm College Tuesday night, joining the already-crowded pool of GOP candidates in the race.  

Christie centered much of his announcement on Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican primary. In veiled digs at the former president, Christie said, “We have leaders who have shown us, over and over again, that not only are they devoid of character, they don’t care.” 

Christie began criticizing Trump by name mere minutes into his half-hour speech, saying he had “made us smaller by dividing us even further and pitting us one against the other.”

He later called Trump “a lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog” who “never admits mistake, who never admits a fault, who always finds someone else and something else to blame for whatever goes wrong – but finds every reason to take credit for anything that goes right.” 

Christie lost to Trump in the 2016 primaries and says he is the only candidate in this year’s race willing to challenge the former president. “The reason I’m going after Trump is twofold,” he said. “One, he deserves it. And two, it’s the way to win.”

Mason Rainford, a Massachusetts resident who often travels to New Hampshire to attend candidates’ town halls, said, “Christie is definitely different from some of the other Republicans running.”

“I don’t agree with a lot of what he said, but to win, you do need to beat Trump,” Rainford said. “It’s impossible not to focus on him… you kind of have to talk about him. The sad reality is that every single thing in politics today is in response to what Trump is saying.” 

Andrew Moore, an attendee from Tamworth, was more positive about the event but said he doesn’t plan to vote for Christie in the primary.  

“He was very clear, he got to the point, and he was one of the more honest candidates we’ve seen in a while,” Moore said. “I think he gave his genuine feelings out on the floor.” 

Of Christie’s focus on Trump, Moore said, “I think it’s important that he put the blame directly where it is, whereas everyone else has been beating around the bush.” But, “there comes a time where you’ve got to stop blaming somebody else… and I don’t think he talked too much about what he plans on doing.” 

Christie advisers are planning a nontraditional, nationally focused campaign based on earned media attention, instead of focusing on specific states. Their candidate will test the appetite among Republican voters for someone who has expressed support for many of Trump’s policies but has criticized the former president’s conduct. 

Christie’s choice to start his 2024 bid at a New Hampshire town hall recalled his first run for president, when he focused on the state, holding dozens of New Hampshire town hall events only to finish sixth in its primary. He dropped out of that race shortly afterward.

After his speech Tuesday, Christie took extended questions from the audience. He also spoke openly about his underwhelming 2016 performance, despite concentrating so heavily on New Hampshire.

“I lost,” Christie laughed. “You people did that to me in 2016.”

(Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.)

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