Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said theres a reason his onetime friend Donald Trump likely wont be on the stage when Republican presidential hopefuls have their first debate this summer.

Obviously, hes afraid, Christie told conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt . Hes afraid to get on the stage against people who are serious. And Im sorry to see that hes that afraid of it.

Trump, the former president and current GOP frontrunner in the polls, last month said hes unlikely to attend the debates because he is leading by seemingly insurmountable numbers and doesnt want to subject himself to being libeled and abused.

Christie said that if Trumps ideas were great, his polling lead would only increase after a debate. Since he wont attend, Christie reasoned he must be afraid a debate could cause him to lose that lead instead.

If hes that afraid of that, how can we count on him to do any better with President Xi than the failures he had in his first term with China? he said. How can we expect him to do any better with Putin than having set the groundwork for the invasion of Ukraine, which his conduct towards Putin certainly helped to establish?

This is a guy who seems like hes afraid, Christie continued. And if hes afraid, he has no business being president.

Christie abandoned his own presidential hopes early in the 2016 campaign and became one of the first big-name Republicans to endorse Trump .

The two were close during much of Trumps presidency, and Christie has said he contracted COVID-19 infection while helping the then-president prepare for his debates with Joe Biden . Christie spent a week in the intensive-care unit.

Christie has since been more critical of Trump, with the two trading barbs in recent months a trend that continued during his interview with Hewitt.

Christie said Trump doesnt want to debate because he doesnt 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, Christie added. Hes a child in that regard.

Christie said he was considering his own 2024 presidential run and would have a decision within two weeks.