- GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie has a basic message for House Republicans: Get a speaker.
- "I don't care. Just pick someone!" he said during a Saturday campaign appearance in South Carolina.
Nearly three weeks after Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California was ousted as House speaker, House Republicans have been unable to coalesce around a successor.
And the frustration has seeped out of the House chamber and spread across the party.
For GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie, he's already seen enough.
"They asked me on TV on Thursday, 'Who do you want to be Speaker?' I said I don't care. Just pick someone!" Christie said during a Saturday town hall in Charleston, South Carolina.
The former New Jersey governor then remarked that the impasse was preventing the United States from helping its allies across the globe.
"Just pick someone because Israel needs help," he said. "Ukraine needs help. Our southern border needs to be secured."
"And Taiwan needs to be armed now so we're not catching up later," he continued. "We need to send a message to the Chinese now that Taiwan will be ready if they come."
Israel needs help.
— Chris Christie (@GovChristie) October 21, 2023
Ukraine needs help.
Our southern border needs to be secured.
Pick a Speaker. pic.twitter.com/eGOKBG3sqi
House Republicans are set to reconvene on Monday to hear pitches from speaker candidates, with an internal vote for a nominee slated for Tuesday.
After McCarthy was removed from his post, the party turned to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana, but his bid faltered amid a bloc of opposition. Next up was Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who lacked the broad support needed to secure 217 votes and win.
So the race remains open, with a mix of candidates — from House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota to Rep. Jack Bergman of Michigan — angling for the post.
Christie during his remarks this weekend said House Republicans have been too preoccupied with "who's going to get the big office with the view of the National Mall to make sure their ego is okay."
"Make a decision! Be done already! That's what we need to do," he added.
Christie's comments also come as likely GOP presidential primary voters continue to back former President Donald Trump, with the ex-president boasting significant leads in national polling and most statewide polls.
Once a Trump ally, Christie in recent years has become a major critic of the former president, which has both elevated his candidacy and turned off sizable numbers of GOP voters. However, of all of the early-voting states, Christie is best positioned in New Hampshire, where he's largely focused his campaign.
In a September CNN/University of New Hampshire poll of likely GOP primary voters, Trump led with 39% support, with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in second place with 13%, followed by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at 12% and Christie with 11% support.