Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie opened the second GOP primary debate by taking shots at former President Donald Trump. Minutes after the debate began on Wednesday, Christie was asked if Trump's populism was to blame for a possible government shutdown.

The Trump campaign is ramping up public pressure on the Republican National Committee (RNC) to scrap plans for additional presidential primary debates, urging the party to essentially crown former President Trump the presumptive nominee and turn the page to the 2024 general election.

Republican presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie will appear separately Tuesday during “Special Report,” Fox News’s nightly evening newscast, after being threatened with a ban from participating in future GOP debates if they appeared jointly on the network.