Responding to Christie’s ‘Donald Duck’ nickname for him, Trump said: ‘Anybody that would come up with that nickname shouldn’t be running for president’
In response to sharp criticism from his primary rivals in the second GOP debate, former President Donald Trump insisted his primary focus was on “saving” auto workers, a more critical task than attending the debate. He cited a significant lead in the primary polls as the reason for his absence and dismissed Chris Christie’s “Donald Duck” nickname.
Trump’s absence from the second Republican debate in Simi Valley, California disappointed his fellow GOP primary contenders. They mentioned him repeatedly during the debate, insisting that he attend to defend his administration’s record.
Trump openly vows payback, with harsh attacks on the media and Milley
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump defended his decision not to attend the second GOP debate, stressing the importance of his mission to support auto workers. With a 56-point lead in polls, he explained that he believes it is critical to address issues with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and counter the Biden administration’s plans to transition to all-electric vehicles. Threat to auto workers’ jobs.
That same evening, Trump gave a speech to an audience of auto workers in Clinton Township, Michigan. In his speech, he passionately argued that, if elected, the future of the automobile industry must be centered on “Made in America.”
He expressed his gratitude for the enthusiastic response from the crowd, describing it as remarkable, and expressed his belief that there is strong support for his mission to protect the interests of auto workers.
During the debate, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took a direct shot at Trump, addressing the camera and saying:
“Donald, I know you’re watching. You can’t help it. You’re ducking these things. And let me tell you what’s going to happen. You keep doing it, and nobody here calls you Donald Trump.”
Christy joked, “We’ll call you Donald Duck.”
In response, Trump, in an interview with Fox News Digital, claimed he had not seen the debate and dismissed the nickname, commenting that “anyone who goes by that nickname should not be running for president.”
A recent Fox News poll indicated strong support for Trump among Republican primary voters, with 60% favoring him for the GOP nomination. This is up from 53% in a poll conducted last August. The only other candidates with double-digit support in the poll were DeSantis at 13% and Ramaswamy at 11%.
In the same Fox News poll, Nikki Haley received 5% support among Republican primary voters, while Mike Pence and Tim Scott both received 3%. Chris Christie polled 2%, while the rest of the GOP candidates received less than 1% support.
Additionally, a recent Washington Post/ABC poll conducted over the weekend found Donald Trump currently leading President Joe Biden by 10 points in a hypothetical head-to-head general election matchup. According to the poll, if the 2024 presidential election were held today, Trump would win 52% of the vote compared to 42% for Biden.
The poll indicated that President Biden’s approval rating was at 37%, with 56% of respondents disapproving of his presidency.