Megyn Kelly reveals what Chris Christie told her during heated off-air confrontation
Megyn Kelly, in an exclusive reveal on "The Megyn Kelly Show," disclosed what former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said to her during their intense off-air confrontation at the fourth 2024 Republican presidential primary debate.
According to Kelly, Christie was visibly upset about not receiving enough questions during the debate.
During a brief 13-second clip captured during a commercial break, Christie can be seen passionately expressing his dissatisfaction to the moderators, Kelly and the Washington Free Beacon’s Eliana Johnson.
Kelly described Christie as being "pissed off" and shared his frustration about not being given enough speaking time.
“He was mad that he wasn’t getting enough questions. And he said, ‘I made it up at this stage, and I haven’t been able to speak in a while. And I should have been brought in on that last debate,'" Kelly revealed.
However, Kelly assured Christie that he would have ample opportunity to speak during the second half of the debate. "I said, ‘We’re coming to you. You’re going to be happy in the second hour,’ which I lived up to,” Kelly added.
Addressing the criticism, Kelly emphasized that in her experience of moderating six debates, each candidate received a fair amount of time to answer questions. She cited CNN's data from the debate to support her claim.
“Vivek got 22 minutes, DeSantis 21, Haley 17, Christie 16 and 52 seconds. So, he was a half a minute behind Haley, who’s tied up there for number one,” Kelly shared.
Kelly explained during her show Thursday that she knew the former governor would eventually get the stage time he sought during the debate’s second half. AFP via Getty Images
Kelly concluded by asserting that the distribution of questions was based on the candidates' performance and popularity. "In no debate ever, and I’ve now done six of them, have we given as many questions to the guy who’s at 3% as to the person who’s in the lead, at least among the candidates that are on the stage. I’m sorry, Gov. Christie. That’s the way it is."
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The revelation by Megyn Kelly sheds light on the behind-the-scenes tensions and dynamics of the GOP debate, providing a glimpse into the challenges faced by candidates striving for equal speaking time and recognition on the national stage.