OAN’s Brooke Mallory
11:28 AM – Sunday, July 16, 2023
Republican presidential contender Chris Christie stepped up his criticism of former President Donald Trump on Sunday, labeling him a “liar” and a “coward.”
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The former New Jersey governor was responding to Trump’s remarks at a conservative gathering in Florida on Saturday, in which he declared, “I’m being indicted for you,” as he sought to defend himself against charges in the special counsel’s investigative witch hunt of his alleged mishandling of classified materials after leaving office.
However, Christie chimed in during a guest appearance on the left-wing network and criticized Trump’s statements.
“He’s indicted because of his outrageous conduct,” Christie told CNN’s Jake Tapper on the “State of the Union” program.
“There’s no other of the 200 million Americans he spoke about who illegally retained classified national secrets after being asked politely, quietly, and professionally for 18 months to voluntarily turn them back over after he left the White House,” the former governor claimed.
“He now has the opportunity to go to court and make the government prove that case beyond a reasonable doubt. But now he says he doesn’t want to have a trial until after the election in 2024. I don’t think he’s doing that for us, either. He should resolve this thing before people vote, so that we know exactly who we’re voting for,” he continued.
Christie also stated on Saturday that he has met the Republican National Committee’s donor threshold in order to participate in the first presidential primary debate in Milwaukee next month.
Christie stated that his campaign has “almost 45,000 individual donors” and that he “will be there on August 23rd.” According to his most recent Federal Election Commission statement, Christie’s campaign purportedly raised around $1.7 million in the second quarter that ended on June 30th.
However, Christie’s favorability ratings in recent GOP presidential polls have some Republicans questioning whether his statements are dramatized or dishonest.
Trump’s first hearing in the investigation is scheduled for Tuesday, when attorneys from both sides will debate how the case’s classified materials should be handled.
The need for extra time to examine the materials was cited by Trump and his co-defendant, Walt Nauta, as the rationale for delaying the trial date. His attorneys have also indicated that a fair jury could not be seated before the 2024 election, with Trump leading in polls and vying for the Republican nomination. The special attorney in charge of the investigation had reportedly rejected their proposed justifications for postponing the trial.
Trump’s previous remarks regarding the GOP debate have also made it unclear, for those who are planning on tuning in, whether he will be participating in the upcoming Milwaukee event.
“I haven’t really made up my mind,” Trump said. “When you have a big lead, you don’t do it.”
Christie continued his attacks of the former president by posting his thoughts on Twitter on Saturday.
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