Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has dropped out of the presidential race, targeting frontrunner Donald Trump.
“I’m going to make sure that there’s no way I’m going to let Donald Trump be president of the United States again,” the Trump ally-turned-critic said.
Republicans had faced pressure to step aside and allow the party to unify around a viable challenger to Mr Trump.
He did not support anyone when he was out of the race.
But on a hot mic before announcing he was ending his bid, Mr. Christie predicted that Nikki Haley, who had a lead over Mr. Trump in some polls, “was going to get smoked, and you and I both know it.” Are”.
“He’s not ready for this,” he said. He also said that another opponent, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, was “scared”.
Mr Christie, 61, who is polling in the low single figures nationally, said he was suspending his campaign at a town hall event in the US state of New Hampshire on Wednesday afternoon.
He devoted most of his remarks to an appeal to Republican voters to reject the former president, whom he accused of “putting himself before the people of this country.”
“Donald Trump wants you to be angry every day because he’s angry,” he said.
His departure comes five days before the Iowa caucuses, the first of a series of state-by-state contests in which Republican voters will choose their preferred candidate for president.
The eventual winner will be installed as the Republican nominee in July, before challenging the Democratic nominee – likely Joe Biden – in the November general election.
Mr Christie had been urged to drop out ahead of a runoff this month in New Hampshire, where some polls indicate Ms Haley could compete with Mr Trump.
The north-eastern state has a large faction of unaffiliated voters and is known to give unpredictable results. Mr Christie received 12% of the vote there and many of his supporters may now support Ms Haley.
In a statement, Ms. Haley called Mr. Christie a “friend of many years” and praised him for his “hard-fought campaign.”
But his opponents immediately attacked on social media.
Mr. DeSantis said he agreed that Ms. Haley “is going to be a victim of smoking.”
Mr Trump said he might “like (Mr Christie) again” after her “very truthful statements” about Ms Haley.
The former president’s political action committee said in a statement that he “defeated eight challengers before even a single vote was cast because Republican voters want a strong leader who will rebuild our economy, secure our border.” Will make America energy independent again, and maintain it.” Our families are safe”.
It was Mr Christie’s second unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination – he lost to Mr Trump in 2016.
Mr Christie had hoped to act as an attack dog for a field of Trump rivals who did not dare cross the Republican base, which is deeply loyal to the former president.
This strategy resulted in some jabs during the primary debate, but without Mr. Trump on stage, Mr. Christie failed to land any direct blows.
Matthew Bartlett, a New Hampshire-based Republican strategist, said Mr Christie had to face political reality.
“Republican voters don’t want to hear the same attacks they’ve heard from Democrats or even the media for most of eight years,” Mr. Bartlett said.
