Chris Christie Applauded For Trump Digs—Here Are The Other GOP Leaders Who Have Strayed From Trump After Midterm Losses

Speaking at an annual Republican Governors Association meeting on Tuesday in Orlando, Christie blamed Trump for the GOP’s worse-than-expected midterm performance, telling the group voters “rejected crazy,” Axios reported, citing four unnamed sources.

Urging the group to prevent extreme primary candidates from securing nominations, Christie—who has criticized Trump on and off for years—highlighted Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial race, where Republican Doug Mastriano, who was endorsed by Trump and fervently denied the results of the 2020 presidential election, lost by more than 14 points to Democrat Josh Shapiro.

Christie joins a growing list of prominent Republicans who, in the wake of the midterm elections, have publicly criticized Trump, scaled back their praise of the former president or said they will back Florida’s Republican governor and possible 2024 contender, Ron DeSantis:

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who said he is considering a 2024 presidential run himself, told ABC News last week he thinks Republicans will “have better choices in the future” when asked whether Trump should be president again.

When asked by the Associated Press whether she would endorse Trump for president in 2024, Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wy.) said she believes DeSantis is the “leader of the Republican Party,” breaking from the former president after voting against his impeachment and publicly questioning the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-Ga.), who publicly aligns himself with Trump but has reportedly criticized him privately, said Tuesday Trump should wait to announce a 2024 presidential bid and told Politico he would not commit to endorsing Trump until after the Georgia runoff election between Republican Herschel Walker and Sen. Raphael Warnock.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who Trump endorsed for House speaker, declined to return the favor on Monday night and said he was instead focused on the pending results of House midterm races, Politico reported.

Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who is running for GOP minority whip, said in an interview on Fox News Sunday he would “save” his presidential endorsement “for another place,” while offering the caveats “[Trump is a] very popular figure in the Republican Party” and a “very effective president.”

Outgoing Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), a longstanding Trump critic, directly blamed Trump for midterm losses in an interview on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday and said this is the “third election in a row that Donald Trump has cost us the race,” referring to Trump’s 2020 loss and Democrats retaking the House in 2018.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who has criticized Trump for years and opposed his nomination as the GOP candidate for president in 2016, also highlighted the three elections Trump has been involved in where Republicans suffered losses, comparing him to “an aging pitcher” who “lost three straight games,” the Associated Press reported.