The Real Clear Politics average of national polls puts Christie at just 2.2 percent, meaning he will likely not qualify for the next GOP debate.
Christie appeared on Bolling’s Newsmax show “The Balance” on Friday.
“Governor, is it time to stop this and just get behind the GOP nominee, who’s clearly going to be Trump?” Bolling asked.
Christie replied, “Well Eric, because I know history, as do you, and on Thanksgiving in 2007, you know who was leading the race? Mitt Romney. And Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa Caucus, was at 4%. At Thanksgiving in 2011, you know who was winning the race? Newt Gingrich. And Rick Santorum, who won the Iowa Caucus, was at 3%. And in 2015, Ben Carson was winning the race in Iowa by 10 points.”
“I get it. This is a different animal,” Bolling asserted. “Trump has 54 in Iowa and 50 in South Carolina. If you can’t get through Iowa, and New Hampshire, and South Carolina with at least a second place, the money’s gonna dry up. Chris, come on.”
“I’ll tell you why it’s a different animal, because Ben Carson was a neurosurgeon and Donald Trump’s been indicted by four different grand juries and is gonna face a criminal trial in March. Ben Carson wasn’t gonna face that. Neither was Newt Gingrich and neither was Mitt Romney. And so yeah, this is a different animal, I agree,” Christie fired back.
Bolling continued trying to bring Christie down to earth, saying, “Chris, you’re 65– no, you’re 61. You’re gonna be 65 in ’28. Here’s what I’m saying. You know, there’s still– people hate me when I bring you on because they want Trump. You’re my friend. Why don’t you pack it in and support the nominee, or worse case, support DeSantis or Nikki Haley against Trump if you really hate Trump that much? ‘Cause you’ll save your powder for 2028. You’ll be 65 in 2028. Joe Biden was 78 when he was first elected. Trump was 70.”
“Yeah, no, I’m aware of those statistics, and let me make it clear, I don’t hate Donald Trump. I just don’t believe he’s fit to be president of the United States,” Christie said. “The fact is, why Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley? Because one poll shows her five points ahead of me in New Hampshire? I mean, you know, Eric, look, I’m willing to put this in the hands of the voters.”
Prior to the first GOP debate in August, Christie said that candidates who don’t make the stage should get out of the race.