Chris Christie takes major step toward announcing 2024 president bid

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Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took a major step toward announcing a potential 2024 presidential campaign this week, as allies reportedly set up a super PAC to support his effort.

The PAC, called Tell It Like It Is, is the latest sign that Christie plans to throw his hat in the ring in the Republican presidential primary race, Fox News has confirmed., Christie, 60, has been one of former President Trump's most aggressive critics since the 2020 election.

The former governor has already made selections for a potential presidential campaign staff as well, according to the New York Times. Mike DuHaime and Maria Comella are poised to manage his campaign if he announces, the outlet reported. Duhaime previously worked as a political strategist during Christie's 2016 campaign, and Comella previously worked as chief of staff to disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Meanwhile Brian Jones, a longtime staffer for GOP campaigns, will head up the PAC, the Times first reported.

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Allies of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie are opening a Super PAC to support his potential 2024 presidential campaign, which he is reportedly set to announce within the next two weeks. (WADE VANDERVORT/AFP via Getty Images)

"Now more than ever we need leaders that have the courage to say not what we want to hear but what we need to hear," Jones, a senior adviser for the 2008 and 2012 Republican presidential nominees John McCain and Mitt Romney, told Fox News Digital.

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If he announces a camapign, Christie would enter a large and growing field of Republican 2024 candidates, including Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley; Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Former Vice President Mike Pence is also expected to enter the race in the coming weeks, as well as New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu.

From left to right, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence. (Getty Images)

Christie teased a potential 2024 run earlier in May, saying he was "very concerned" about potential rematch between Trump and President Biden.

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"I’m very concerned that what we’re heading toward is a Trump-Biden rematch," said in a radio interview. "A Trump-Biden rematch is bad for the Republican Party."

"We lost the House in 2018. The Senate and the White House in 2020. We underperformed in 2022 and lost more governorships and another Senate seat. Donald Trump cannot win," he continued.

Chris Christie is likely to direct most of his attacks against former President Trump if he enters the 2024 presidential race. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

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Christie was once a major backer for Trump, but turned on the former president after the 2020 election and the subsequent effort to overturn its results.

The former two-term Republican governor and 2016 presidential contender has argued that he has got the debate chops to potentially take down Trump, who is six months into his third White House run and remains the clear front-runner in the early GOP nomination national polls.

Fox News's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.