Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Republican 2024 presidential rival Donald Trump is motivated by fear.
Specifically, it’s about the fear of jail as the former president faces a 37-count federal indictment in Florida over his alleged misappropriation of classified documents, as well as other possible charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and the March 6 attack. January on the US threatens US Capitol.
“He’s scared,” Christie said the New York Times over the weekend. “See, a guy like him, the last place you ever want to be in life is in jail for giving up all control and he’s a total control freak.”
In newly released audio recordings, Trump can be heard boasting that he kept confidential documents after leaving the White House knowing they were still confidential.
The former president has since claimed those comments were just “bravery”.
In other words, he lied on the tape to make people think he still had those documents.
Christie told the Times there was a specific reason for Trump to make this claim.
“[F]or Donald Trump, it’s better to be called a liar than go to jail,” Christie said. “If what that buys him is a release card, he’ll make that deal any day.”
Christie also predicted that Trump would appear at Republican presidential debates, although he had insisted he would not.
“His ego won’t allow it,” Christie said. “He can’t have a big TV show that he’s not on.”
Trump card is said to be under consideration “Counterprogramming” to divert attention from the August event, which will be the first official debate of the presidential primary.
Christie was one of the first prominent Republicans to endorse Trump in 2016 and has remained a staunch member of Trump’s inner circle throughout his presidency, even after contracting COVID-19 while helping Trump prepare for debates in the Year 2020 helped.
Christie spent a week in intensive careand in recent years has become increasingly critical of the former president, who is seen as the favorite for the GOP nomination.