Chris Christie Predicts Donald Trump’s 2024 Nomination Could Be Blocked by a Single, Brutal Swipe on the Debate Stage.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Monday predicted that former President Donald Trump’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination could be blocked if an opponent is able to challenge him on the debate stage.

Speaking in New Hampshire, Christie recalled a notable moment from his unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign, in which he challenged Rubio’s lack of experience on a debate stage three days before the first primary in the campaign cycle. Christie said that Republicans need a candidate who can take out Trump in a single, brutal swipe like the one Christie delivered to Rubio.

“You better have somebody on that stage who can do to him what I did to [Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.], because that’s the only thing that’s gonna defeat Donald Trump,” Christie said during a town hall at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, according to the Associated Press.

Christie recalled the moment fondly, saying that he had “caught Rubio in a loop” and that the exchange had “stopped the momentum” of Rubio’s campaign. He also noted that Trump will never step aside quietly.

The moment Christie referred to occurred during a Republican primary debate in 2016, when he challenged Rubio’s lack of experience. Rubio responded by repeating himself twice, in a cringe-worthy moment capped off by Christie saying: “There it is.”

Christie’s comments come as Trump is reportedly considering another run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. Former RNC spokesman Doug Heye said that Trump was “speaking very much to his base” at a recent campaign rally, and that the former president is still a powerful force in the Republican party.