As former Gov. Chris Christie dropped out of the presidential race less than a week before the Iowa Caucus, both friends and foes of Donald Trump lined up with mockery.
“I would rather lose by telling the truth than lie in order to win, and I feel no differently today because this is a fight for the soul of our party and the soul of our country," Christie told a New Hampshire audience.
Dr. Mary L. Trump suggested that Christie should "endorse" President Joe Biden.
"Chris Christie was caught on a hot mic saying Nikki Haley [was going to get smoked], and that DeSantis is privately petrified," she also remarked.
Author and activist Don Winslow called Christie a "Lifelong opportunist. I have never believed a word this man says and I urge you to not fall for or support what IMO is his lifelong opportunist grift."
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"Chris Christie to join Harvard’s Institute of Politics, again," wrote the parody account, New York Times Pitchbot, which ridicules the paper's more absurd stories and editorials with fake ones of their own.
"You can dislike Chris Christie and disagree with him on issues, but he played a pretty important real talk role in this race. Absence on debate stage(s) will definitely be noticeable, but just as a voice calling out Trump in the primary," remarked MSNBC host and former press secretary Jen Psaki.
She later noted: "Pretty safe to bet the campaign and the White House are toasting Chris Christie right now. Not only a very strong case against Trump in this speech but blocking out some of the Hunter Hill circus coverage."
Author and political consultant Stuart Stevens recalled the first debate when Republicans were asked whether they would support the nominee, even if that meant it was Donald Trump.
"Think about that," he said. "You can't reason with that or compromise with it. You can only defeat it. The party is lost. For all those donors who want to convince themselves [Nikki Haley] is their methadone for a Trump addiction, remember that when she endorses and campaigns for Trump."
Over on the Fox network, host Jesse Watters was offended when Christie said, "I'm here to tell the truth."
"That's basically saying 75 million Americans don't want to hear the truth," said Watters.
"No," he continued, "they just don't want to hear your opinion about Donald Trump."