Marco Rubio lashes out over claims Chris Christie 'ended' his presidential campaign: 'lazy or dumb'

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Chris Christie would like to make the 2024 race about character: Amy Walter

'Special Report' panelists Guy Benson, Amy Walter and Ben Domenech discuss former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie formally announcing his 2024 run for president. 

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., lashed out Tuesday at "reporters/commentators" claiming former New Jersey Chris Christie "ended" his 2016 presidential campaign, calling them "lazy or dumb."

It isn't clear exactly which reporters and commentators he was referring to, however a number of media articles ahead of Christie's Tuesday presidential campaign launch in New Hampshire referenced the infamous clash between the two at a Feb. 6, 2016 GOP primary debate.

Rubio took to Twitter to air his frustrations following Christie's announcement, tweeting, "Any political reporter/commentator claiming Christie 'ended' my campaign in 2016 is lazy or dumb."

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"NH debate sucked because instead of hitting back when attacked like I wanted to, I listened to advice about 'pivoting' & not ‘punching down’ on a [Chris Christie] who was at 7% & about to drop out," he wrote, referencing the 2016 debate in which Christie relentlessly attacked him, calling him scripted and ill-suited to be president. 

In response to the attack, Rubio stammered and repeated lines over and over again, prompting Christie to say that it was exactly the scripted response he was criticizing.

"But it didn’t end my campaign. After NH I finished 2nd in SC & NV, won 3 primaries, almost won Virginia on Super Tuesday, finished with the 3rd most delegates behind Trump's historic campaign & was reelected twice by 8 & 17 points," he added in his tweet.

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Former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (left) and Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (right). (AP Newsroom)

With his Tuesday campaign launch, Christie joined a crowded field of presidential hopefuls vying for the 2024 Republican nomination, including former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former two-term Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, multimillionaire entrepreneur and conservative commentator Vivek Ramaswamy, and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson. 

Former Vice President Mike Pence and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum are expected to enter the race this week.

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