Chris Christie joins the race for the White House, expected to kamikaze Trump's campaign

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie is reportedly revving his engines to run for the 2024 Republican primary, with an announcement scheduled for next week during a high-profile event in New Hampshire, where he enjoys no small amount of popularity.

According to Axios, the 60-year-old political veteran will rally his troops at Saint Anselm College at 6:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday. He aims to deliver a message of hope targeted at America's "exhausted majority," with a promise to offer a fresh direction.

Insider info from The New York Times reveals that power players Maria Comella and Mike DuHaime will likely steer Christie's campaign, with support coming from former Trump surrogate Anthony Scaramucci.

Christie's strategy? Take the bull by the horns and challenge former President Donald Trump head-on, despite being a long-time ally.

Back in 2016, Christie hung up his gloves early in the Republican presidential race after a disappointing performance in New Hampshire. Following his exit, he put his weight behind Trump, playing a pivotal role in helping Trump navigate the presidential debates and serving as a key advisor during Trump's presidency.

The alliance, however, hit a rough patch when Trump challenged the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, sparking a fierce rebuttal from Christie.

“Tonight is the beginning of the case against Donald Trump,” said Christie at a New Hampshire town hall last month. “Donald Trump is a TV star, nothing more, nothing less. Let me suggest to you that in putting him back in the White House, the reruns will be worse than the original show.”

The former governor also voiced his disappointment during a conversation with Hugh Hewitt earlier this month, over rumors that Trump might opt-out of primary debates.

“And to the extent that President Trump doesn’t want to participate in them, people should wonder why,” Christie said. “And I think it’s because he doesn’t have a lot of serious answers for the problems that are facing the country right now. All he wants to do is go back and re-prosecute the 2020 election because his feelings are hurt. He’s a child in that regard.”

Should Christie toss his hat into the ring, he'll join the likes of Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, radio host Larry Elder, and Michigan tycoon Perry Johnson. Trump's former VP Mike Pence will reportedly announce his run on June 7.

Christie's entry could shake up the dynamics of the race. He's already signaled an intent to vigorously challenge Trump, a strategy that could deal significant blows against the former president and potentially tip the scales in favor of a non-Trump candidate.

Republican strategist Mike Murphy suggests that Christie's campaign could be likened to him “lighting a stick of dynamite and running right at Donald Trump.”