Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie famously endorsed Donald Trump for the presidency after dropping out of the 2016 Republican primary. But this time? Not a chance, he says.
“I can’t help him. No way,” Mr. Christie told Axios. “Look, I just can’t. When you have the Jan. 6 choir at a rally and you show video of it — I just don’t think that person is appropriate for the presidency.”
Mr. Christie was referring to Mr. Trump’s decision to start a weekend rally in Waco, Texas, with a song recorded by jailed persons accused of assaulting the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
His opposition is notable because top Republicans are reluctant to criticize Mr. Trump directly, fearing the influence of the ex-president’s base within the party.
Mr. Christie, a high-profile prosecutor-turned-governor, is mulling his own 2024 bid and is signaling he will serve as the top attack dog against Mr. Trump. He told an audience at St. Anselm College this week that someone in the GOP race needs to take down Mr. Trump on the debate stage the way he attacked Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in 2016.
“I’m going to go out there and tell the truth. Like the truth matters. The truth is not negotiable,” Mr. Christie said.
Mr. Christie said his opposition to Mr. Trump doesn’t make him a fan of President Biden.
“I can’t imagine myself voting for Joe Biden, either,” he said. “I don’t know if I can vote for either of these guys. They’re both too old. They’re both out of touch with what’s going on in the world right now.”
Mr. Christie backed Mr. Trump in 2016 after it became clear that Mr. Trump, a real estate tycoon and reality television star, was on the path to the nomination. The former governor helped Mr. Trump prepare for debates in the general election cycle and then assisted the presidential transition, only to fall out with Mr. Trump and trade barbs in later years.
“Look, what I thought in 2016 was that [Mr. Trump was] going to be the nominee, and I don’t want Hillary Clinton to be the president,” Mr. Christie told Axios. “Did I have concerns about him? Of course, but you probably have concerns about any candidate other than yourself in the end.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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