The media should stop trying to make voters rally around Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said on Sunday.
In the last week, the press “has been trying to make [us] coalesce around Marco Rubio,” Christie told host Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.” “After you saw his performance last night, do you think [we] should be coalescing around Marco Rubio? Do you think that’s the kind of performance, that’s the kind of leadership that we want to see on the stage against Hillary Clinton?”
Rubio’s showing in the Republican presidential debate, hosted by ABC News on Saturday, has been widely panned. Christie’s comment came when he was asked if some candidates should drop out so voters could coalesce around others acceptable to the GOP.
“Last night, what they saw is instructive,” Christie said of voters. “It’s instructive and needs to be seen. My strong leadership needs to be seen and Senator Rubio’s robotic performance needs to be seen too.”
The interview closed with levity, when Christie thanked Wallace for coming on the program.
“Did you say ‘great to have you’?” Wallace replied.
“Yes. I’ve pretty much taken over the show,” Christie said. “It’s over, buddy. … Let’s switch chairs. I’ll take the rest of the day off. Let me interview Bush. I’d love to.”
