During the fourth Republican presidential primary debate of 2024, a brief exchange between Megyn Kelly and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie caught attention. Kelly, who co-moderated the debate with Eliana Johnson of the Washington Free Beacon, shared insights about the incident on her show, “The Megyn Kelly Show.” She revealed that Christie, one of the presidential candidates, expressed frustration over not receiving sufficient opportunities to speak during the debate.
Kelly recounted Christie’s words, where he expressed his annoyance about being overlooked for a significant period, despite making it to that stage of the debate. Kelly reassured Christie during the commercial break that he would have his chance to speak more in the debate’s second hour, a promise she fulfilled.
The debate, particularly its first half, was marked by intense discussions and arguments among candidates like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Kelly noted that these extended exchanges among candidates affected the distribution of questions, leading to some candidates feeling sidelined.
Despite Christie’s grievances, Kelly firmly stated on her show that the distribution of questions is typically proportional to a candidate’s polling status. She highlighted that Christie, polling at 2%, could not expect equal questioning to front-runners. Kelly cited data to demonstrate that the speaking times for candidates were reasonably balanced, with Christie receiving almost as much airtime as other leading candidates.
In addition to this off-stage interaction, Christie also had a notable on-stage moment during the debate. He engaged in a heated exchange with Ramaswamy, criticizing him for his remarks about Nikki Haley’s intelligence. This confrontation further escalated the debate’s intensity, showcasing the highly competitive nature of the primary race.