Christie says choosing Trump as GOP nominee is ‘fatally flawed’

Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said that picking former President Donald Trump as the 2024 GOP nominee is “fatally flawed.”

MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle asked Mr. Christie on Monday why Mr. Trump is still the front-runner despite legal troubles.

“Look, I think that he’s the nominee twice in the last eight years; [there are] a lot of folks who still think that sticking with Donald Trump is the way, the best way to beat Joe Biden,” the former New Jersey governor said. “I think that’s fatally flawed.”

He added, “First, I don’t think Donald Trump is fit to be president of the United States, and that’s one of the reasons I’m running. Secondly, if he were the nominee, he wouldn’t beat Joe Biden.

“Third, I do think that our party needs to restore a sense of decency to the Oval Office, and that would not happen with Donald Trump as president.”

Mr. Christie has spent much time criticizing the former president. On X ahead of the first debate in August, he called him a “certified loser, verified coward.”

During the second debate, he accused Mr. Trump of being afraid “of being on this stage and defending your record,” adding that if he keeps “ducking” the debates, the other candidate hopefuls will start calling him Donald Duck.

Mr. Trump faces one civil case and four criminal cases in multiple states. His civil fraud case in New York has been underway in recent weeks.

In the Georgia 2020 election interference case where Mr. Trump and 18 others are charged with racketeering and conspiracy charges, four have pleaded guilty. On Tuesday, former Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis joined fellow lawyers Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro and bail bondsman Scott Hall in pleading guilty.