Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' decision to pursue a lawsuit against Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA BUD, the parent company of Bud Light, over their advertising decisions.
What Happened: Christie seemingly drew a line between himself and his fellow Republican and 2024 presidential rival, DeSantis, who continues to blame Bud Light's hiring of transgender star Dylan Mulvaney for the company's poor sales.
"Governor DeSantis is now saying that he wants to bring a lawsuit on behalf of Florida pension holders against Inbev beverages because of the decisions that Bud Light made on their advertising, and maybe it affected the value of the stock," Christie said in a recent town hall event held in North Carolina. "Let me tell you something... you all have rendered the verdict on Bud Light. You didn't like their advertising, you stopped buying their beer. That's what America is all about."
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"You don't need the government in there making these decisions for you about what you like or what you don't like, what you'll buy or what you won't buy, what you'll support, or you won't support," Christie continued. "The power of the American people is the power of your wallet."
Why It Matters: Christie has been gaining support among GOP donors. Yet DeSantis is the runner-up to former President Donald Trump in most GOP polls geared toward gauging 2024 presidential support.
However, his recent legal spats with Walt Disney Co. DIS, and now Inbev, have drawn the ire of fellow Republicans, who argue that such actions go against a core GOP tenet: limited government and free enterprise.
"You don't like what Target's doing, you don't go there. You don't want what Bud Light's selling you, don't buy it... You buy Coors Light or you buy Modelo or you buy whatever the heck you want," Christie said.
The former Governor also threw shade at DeSantis for magnifying what he perceives as a minor issue and steering the focus away from more substantial policy concerns.
"See, Governor DeSantis thinks that that's an issue that gets everybody riled up, and it's small compared to the big issues we have. But if he can just ride that horse as hard as he possibly can, maybe he'll get you so angry that you'll say 'Yeah, I'll vote for the angry guy... no, not that angry guy, the other angry guy,'" Christie said. "I'm not angry... I'm determined."
Watch the clip below.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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