With the polls ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday showing former President Donald Trump commanding more than 60% of support among conservative voters, one candidate is openly wondering what the rest are doing.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie made a round of television appearances on Sunday ahead of planned stops in New Hampshire this week, and claimed that if the other candidates would actually run against — instead of alongside — the 45th President, one of them could potentially beat him in 2024.

“I have spent the majority of my time going after the guy who’s in first place. I’m going after Donald Trump. And all I point out about Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley is that they’re not going after Trump. And I don’t understand why they spent the time going after each other, not going after Trump. If all three of us would go after Donald Trump, well, then the most credible amongst the three of us in terms of those critiques would wind up winning this primary,” he told ABC.

Before Christie’s television tour, the former federal prosecutor’s campaign had to have noticed the results of an Emerson College poll released just before Thanksgiving and showing Trump pulling 64% of the vote while Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy each see only single digit support.

Trump has been in the lead from the start of 2024 campaigning, if polling is any guide, but as the election cycle has carried on for most of a year that problem has only grown for any candidate seriously hoping to usurp his place atop the Republican party.

“In the Republican Primary, former President Trump leads at 64%, a five-point increase since last month, followed by former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (9%), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (8%), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (5%), and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (3%). Ten percent are undecided,” pollsters wrote.

According to Christie his fellow Republicans would be better served by focusing their efforts on the primary and the person most likely to win it than fighting against one another for second place.

“We need to all be talking about the guy who’s in first place. You know, I don’t understand — I’m not playing for second place here,” he said. “Governor Haley has said things like she thought he was the right president at the right time. She’s also said that she’d be inclined to pardon him. Ron DeSantis has said, you know, a lot of glowing things to say about Donald Trump over time. I think we need to focus on who’s in front here, who’s bad for our party and who would be bad for this country.”

Christie also said that Trump’s speech and mannerisms have allowed the worst parts of society to fester and come into the open, and while his bombastic style may bring out his base, it’s also partially blame with for the rapid rise in anti-Semitism sweeping the nation.

“When you show intolerance towards everyone, which is what he does, you give permission as a leader for others to have their intolerance come out. And so, intolerance towards anyone encourages intolerance towards everyone. And that’s exactly what’s going on here,” he told CNN. “I believe Donald Trump’s intolerant language and his intolerant conduct gives others permission to act the same.”

Emerson’s polling also shows the 45th President narrowly beating his successor in a theoretical rematch. According to the survey of nearly 1,500 registered voters, Trump leads Biden 47% to 43%. The current president’s approval rating has fallen to the lowest it has been all year, and pollsters say he’s suffering in demographic groups that he can’t afford to lose during a second electoral contest with Trump.

“Last November, Biden led Trump by four points, whereas this November, he trails Trump by four. Several key groups have shifted in the past year: Biden led at this time last year among women by seven points, which has reduced to a point this year,” Emerson College Polling Executive Director Spencer Kimball said with the poll’s release.

Christie will be in New Hampshire on Thursday for a pair of townhall-style events in Concord.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for the college football game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Clemson Tigers at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)