In a “Good Morning America” interview, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie addressed the controversy surrounding his hot mic comments about GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley. Christie, who had remarked that Haley would get “smoked” in the race against former President Donald Trump, described the incident as a “complete mistake” during the conversation with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos.
The mishap occurred moments before Christie was to suspend his presidential campaign. Despite acknowledging the error, Christie stopped short of issuing an apology for his remarks about Haley’s campaign prospects. Instead, he shared a light-hearted anecdote about how he was alerted to the mistake. According to Christie, he received a frantic call from his son, Andrew, warning him of the live microphone situation just as he was preparing to make a public appearance.
“It was a complete mistake, but the way I found out is actually the funniest part of the story,” Christie said. “I had my phone on vibrate, but the only person whose ringtone bursts through when I have it on vibrate is my son, Andrew. And the phone rang, and I picked it up, and I said, ‘I’m getting ready to go out,’ and he goes, ‘Hot mic! Hot mic! Hot mic!’”
Christie’s comments and subsequent recounting of the incident have stirred discussions about the dynamics within the GOP and the intense scrutiny political figures face during election campaigns. The former governor’s refusal to apologize for his candid assessment of Haley’s campaign underscores the candid and often unpredictable nature of political discourse.