Global Courant
Formerly New Jersey Governor and 2024 presidential candidate Chris Christie skewered his Republican opponents for blindly defending Donald Trump in the face of a damning criminal indictment from the Justice Department. During a CNN town hall event Monday night, Christie directly addressed other candidates attacking the DOJ on behalf of the former president: “Blame him, he did it.”
After months of investigating Trump’s hoarding of classified documents following his departure from the presidency, the DOJ indicted him on a total of 37 federal felony counts including violations of the espionage act, conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing a record or document, concealing a document in a federal investigation, and scheme to conceal.
“Whether you like Donald Trump or you don’t like Donald Trump, this behavior is inexcusable, in my opinion, for someone who wants to be President of the United States,” Christie told host Anderson Cooper.
Chris Christie: “Whether you like Donald Trump or you don’t like Donald Trump, this conduct is inexcusable, in my opinion, for someone who wants to be President of the United States.” pic.twitter.com/bqJQO6kLmt
— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) June 13, 2023
“What makes it so ridiculous that we’re here and we’re in a situation where there are people in my own party who are blaming (the) DOJ. How about blaming him? He did it,” Christie added, then continued to list the many opportunities Trump had to return the documents. “He took documents he wasn’t supposed to take. He got them when he asked (for) them back. They got a grand jury subpoena. He refused to comply. They raided his home finally because he refused to comply.”
Christie went on to criticize his fellow Republican candidates who were avoiding directly taking on Trump because they’re “afraid of him.”
“I don’t understand the other candidates who won’t even mention his name,” Christie said, it’s “like he was Voldemort from Harry Potter. Nobody wanted to mention his name.”
“How do you beat someone if you won’t talk about them? How will you beat them if you won’t distinguish yourself from them? I think…some of them are afraid. They’re afraid of him,” Christie added.
The former governor explained that he felt other candidates were holding off hope that they could siphon off portions of Trump’s base by being nice to him. “They’re playing political games with you,” Christie told the audience, “because they think ‘If you kind of like Trump a little bit, and I don’t say anything bad about Trump, and then Trump kind of implodes and goes away, then you’re more likely to vote for me.'”
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Christie on 2024 candidates defending Trump: “They’re playing political games with you, because they think ‘If you kind of like Trump a little bit, and I don’t say anything bad about Trump, and then Trump kind of implodes and goes away, then you’re more likely to vote for me.'” pic.twitter.com/zpMnccuwad
— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) June 13, 2023
Trump is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday in Miami despite, as previously reported by Rolling Stone, an atmosphere of chaos within his legal team. While Special Counsel Jack Smith has called for a speedy trial to resolve the case, the legal proceedings will take place as the Republican primaries gain steam.
When asked by Cooper if he thought Trump would show up to the GOP’s presidential debates, Christie was unequivocal: “You bet he will. His ego will not be able to stop him.”
