FNew Jersey’s GOP Gov. Chris Christie he didn’t hold back on bashing his Republican rivals on a number of issues, including former President donald trumpsecond accusation of a CNN town hall hosted by Anderson Cooper on Monday evening.
Last week, the Department of Justice filed a historic 37-year-old criminal indictment against Trump over allegations he mishandled classified documents when he left the white house. But Christie did not hesitate to criticize Republicans for attacking the agency over the impeachment rather than Trump.
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“We’re in a situation where there are people in my own party who are blaming the DOJ,” Christie told an audience of Republican voters in early nominating states. “How about blaming him? He did it… He took documents he wasn’t supposed to take. They kept them when they asked him to give them back. They got a grand jury subpoena; he refused to comply . They assaulted him. finally home because he refused to comply.”
Christie didn’t stop there. “Why do you think they don’t address what’s actually in the indictment?” Cooper asked Christie about GOP challengers like Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).
“Because it’s indefensible, and they’re playing,” he replied. “They are playing political games with you.”
At one point, Christie bluntly asked, “When did we get to the point where we’re always playing our adversaries because of the weakness of our candidates?”
“Oh, it’s the Democrats’ fault. It’s the DOJ’s fault. It’s this person’s fault. It’s the media’s fault. How about it’s theirs?” Christie continued. “He hasn’t won anything since 2016. Three-time loser. In 2018 we lost the House. In 2020 we lost the White House. We lost the United States Senate a couple of weeks later in 2021. And in 2022, we lost two more governorships, another Senate seat and barely held the House of Representatives when Joe Biden had the most incompetent first two years I’ve ever seen in my life. Loser, loser, loser.”
While other Republicans criticized the Justice Department’s “weaponizing” of Republicans, Christie pushed back when Cooper asked him if he agreed with his rivals. “I don’t think so,” Christie said. “That evidence seems pretty damning. I think it’s a broader question than that.”
When asked if he would get rid of FBI Director Christopher Wray, Christie suggested he would not fire him.
“If he wanted to stay, I would keep him and hold him to the same standard I just talked about,” Christie said. “And I would give him a boss as the attorney general, who he would know to report and who would be held accountable for everything that’s going on at the FBI.”
Christie also attacked Trump for being selfish and narcissistic and was the main reason he was unfit for re-election.
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“He’s angry and vengeful, and he said, ‘I’m going to be your retribution,'” Christie said. “Well, I don’t think I don’t want it to be my retribution. I don’t need him to. And I don’t think anyone in America needs it. He wants to be retribution for himself. I am convinced that if he returns to the White House, the next four years will be all about settling scores.”
Christie has built his campaign around excoriating Trump, the current front-runner in the Republican primary, with the sole goal of preventing him from winning the Republican nomination. Christie is among nine Republican challengers to Trump vying to become the party’s standard-bearer. But Christie, unlike other rivals, has been relentless in his direct attacks on the former president.
During the town hall, Christie argued that as a two-term Republican governor in a blue state, he has the political skills to deliver on Republican priorities in Washington. He emphasized that he wanted to get the federal budget in order, prioritize educational options for parents, send the National Guard to the southern border and restore the nation’s dominance as a world leader.
However, he faces an uphill battle to defeat Trump, given his single-digit poll numbers and high unfavorable numbers among Republican voters. Christie currently polls at 1.2% among Republican primary voters, according to a RealClearPolitics polling total, well below Trump’s 55.6% average.
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The former governor is one of the last presidential candidates to sit in on a town hall event. Last week, former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley participated in their town halls, while Trump held one last month.
Christie ran for president in the 2016 cycle, but dropped out after a disappointing sixth-place finish in the New Hampshire primary. He later endorsed Trump for president and would work with Trump throughout his administration and in debate preparation. They faced the 2020 presidential election and the January 6 Capitol riot.
Original location: Chris Christie says GOP rivals ‘playing political games’ in impeachment of Trump
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