Vocal anti-Trump candidate Chris Christie exits presidential race with hot mic moment

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie mostly stood alone in this year's Republican primary contest as an uninhibited critic of the party's frontrunner, former President Donald Trump.

But he backed off that role Wednesday, just days before the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15.

"It's clear to me tonight that there isn't a path to me to win the nomination which is why I'm suspending my campaign tonight for president of the United States," Christie said at a town hall in Windham, N.H.

Christie ended his presidential campaign after his stance on Trump's leadership and role in the Republican Party proved to diverge too far from where the GOP currently stands. Numerous conservatives had additionally been calling on Christie to end his campaign for weeks, so that former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who's been surging in the polls, could have a stronger chance to beat Trump for the GOP nomination.

Christie did not endorse another candidate at the time of his announcement but he did pledge to ensure that "in no way do I enable Donald Trump to ever be president of the United States again. And that's more important than my own personal ambition."

His announcement was somewhat overshadowed by a hot mic moment ahead of the town hall. In a live feed on his campaign YouTube page, his mic went live around 5:10 p.m. ET and he was speaking about his presidential rivals. Of Haley, he praised her for "punching above her weight" but said "she's going to get smoked." On Ron DeSantis, he said the Florida governor "is petrified" before his mic was abruptly cut.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Haley commended Christie, who she called a "friend," for a "hard-fought campaign."

"Voters have a clear choice in this