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Tags: marco rubio | chris christie | 2016 | debate

Sen. Rubio: Christie's Debate Act Didn't End My 2016 Run

By    |   Wednesday, 07 June 2023 12:32 PM EDT

Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio took to Twitter to set the record straight about his performance during the 2016 Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire.

Rubio posted his comments Tuesday night after former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie formally launched his 2024 presidential campaign earlier in the day. In 2016, Christie verbally attacked the senator during the New Hampshire debate.

"Any political reporter/commentator claiming Christie 'ended' my campaign in 2016 is lazy or dumb," Rubio tweeted.

"NH debate sucked because instead of hitting back when attacked like I wanted to, I listened to advice about 'pivoting' & not 'punching down' on a CC who was at 7% & about to drop out. But it didn't end my campaign.

"After NH I finished 2nd in SC & NV, won 3 primaries, almost won Virginia on Super Tuesday, finished with the 3rd most delegates behind Trumps historic campaign & was reelected twice by 8 & 17 points"

More than an hour later, Christie responded to Rubio's tweet.

"We didn't bring it up, but we know exactly what we are doing," Christie tweeted.

In the 2016 New Hampshire debate, Christie assailed Rubio's debate style.

"The drive by shot at the beginning with incorrect and incomplete information and then the memorized 25 second speech that is exactly what his advisers gave him," Christie said.

Christie, who exited the 2016 race before Rubio, also attacked Rubio's service in the U.S. Senate.

"Every morning, when I wake up, I think about, what kind of problem do I need to solve for the people who actually elected me? It's a different experience. It's a much different experience," Christie said.

"And the fact is, Marco, you shouldn't compare yourself to Joe Biden. And you shouldn't say that's what we're doing. Here is exactly what we're doing. You have not been involved in a consequential decision where you had to be held accountable. You just simply haven't."

Rubio finished in fifth place in the 2016 New Hampshire GOP primary, while Christie came in sixth. Donald Trump won the contest before defeating Hillary Clinton in the 2016 general election.

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Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio took to Twitter to set the record straight about his performance during the 2016 Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire.
marco rubio, chris christie, 2016, debate
351
2023-32-07
Wednesday, 07 June 2023 12:32 PM
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