Former Gov. Chris Christie says Vivek Ramaswamy is doing former President Donald Trump’s dirty work in the 2024 presidential race.
Mr. Ramaswamy, a political newcomer, has shown a penchant for getting under the skin of — and mixing it up with — his rivals and the news media. He also has been effusive in his praise for Mr. Trump, calling him the “the best president of the 21st century.”
Mr. Christie doesn’t like it.
“I think it’s pretty obvious what’s going on here, Vivek Ramaswamy is Donald Trump’s wingman,” Mr. Christie said Thursday on CNN. “Any time Donald Trump says something stupid, Vivek is there with the broom and the dustpan trying to clean up after it.”
“You would think a guy with a Harvard education would be able to get a better job than that,” he said. “But apparently, he’s just cleaning up what Donald Trump drops every day out of his mouth.”
Mr. Trump does seem to have a soft spot for Mr. Ramaswamy — if for no reason other than the 38-year-old has been so willing to praise the former president and embrace the MAGA movement.
Mr. Christie has been focusing all of his attention and energy on delivering a strong showing in the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary.
He is betting that a strong showing there will act as a springboard to the nomination — or at the very least put a dent in Mr. Trump’s chances of winning the party’s nod.
Mr. Christie‘s standing in the race, however, could take a hit if he fails to qualify for the fourth presidential debate next month in Alabama. He says he has met the donor threshold, but needs to perform better in the polls to win an invite under the rules of the Republican National Committee.
Mr. Ramaswamy appears to have met the criteria to qualify.
The Washington Times reached out to the Ramaswamy campaign.
