Chris Christie is on his second run at the White House. 

Only this time, he’s on considerably less good terms with his rival Donald Trump.

The former New Jersey governor has survived scandals and an unsuccessful bid to be the Republican nominee in 2016.

Now he’s back – and he’s taking aim at the former president.

From Trump’s adviser to his adversary

Mr Christie was one of Mr Trump’s early backers in 2016 after Mr Christie ended his own unsuccessful White House run.

He advised Mr Trump’s White House campaign, but became a vocal critic of the former president after the January 6 riot.

He sharply criticised Mr Trump’s false claims he won the 2020 election and stepped up his verbal attacks as the ex-president faced a growing number of criminal charges.

“The reason I’m going after Trump is twofold. One, he deserves it. And two, it’s the way to win,” Mr Christie told supporters in June as he launched his bid for the presidential nomination.

He also compared Mr Trump to Voldemort from the Harry Potter books.

‘Bridgegate’ and ‘beachgate’

Bridgegate was a political scandal during Mr Christie’s time as governor of New Jersey that involved the partial closure of one of the world’s busiest bridges.

It caused chaos for emergency services, commuters and school buses – and ended in court.

Mr Christie was not charged, but two of his aides were. The allegation was that the lane closures were retaliation against a Democratic mayor who refused to endorse Mr Christie’s re-election.

Mr Christie was elected governor in 2009 and had just won re-election in 2013 when Bridgegate broke.

The scandal, which went to trial in 2015, was seen to dash Mr Christie’s 2016 presidential hopes.

In 2017, another “gate” scandal – this time linked to a photo of Mr Christie and his family at the Jersey Shore beach by the governor’s residence.

What would have been an innocuous family snap was anything but, as state beaches were closed at the time due to the state government shutdown.

It caused outrage, with anger only heightened by Mr Christie’s batting away of the problem: “Run for governor, and you can have the residence” he said when asked about it.

Early life, law and local politics

Born in New Jersey in 1962 to a Republican father and a Democrat mother, Mr Christie credited his mother with making him a Republican as she encouraged him to volunteer with a candidate for governor who would go on to become his role model.

Mr Christie studied political science before going on to qualify as a lawyer and join a law firm.

After volunteering for George H W Bush‘s 1992 re-election campaign, Mr Christie decided he wanted to run for office and was elected as a legislator in Morris County, New Jersey.

In 2001, president George W Bush appointed him as the US Attorney for New Jersey – a decision that attracted criticism due to his lack of experience in criminal law. He stayed in the role until 2008.

Mr Christie married Mary Pat Foster, an investment banker, in 1986 and the couple have four children.

He is a Bruce Springsteen mega-fan, having gone to more than 150 concerts.

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What does Chris Christie stand for?

Mr Christie supports sending aid to Ukraine, unlike many other high-level Republicans, arguing it sends a message that the US will support its allies.

Having backed a ban on assault weapons in the 90s, he opposed it during his 2016 presidential bid and more recently has attributed mass shootings to a “mental health crisis”.

On abortion, Mr Christie has described himself as “pro-life” and has said he supports exceptions in abortion bans in cases of rape and incest and when the mother’s life is at stake.

He would not support a federal ban on abortion, arguing it should be a state issue.

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