Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s answers during Wednesday’s 2024 GOP primary debate indicated that he thinks Donald Trump’s conduct in challenging the 2020 election results is a greater issue than the Department of Justice and Democrat district attorneys’ targeting of the former president.
The moment came after debate hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum referenced DA Fani Willis’ recent indictment of Trump and his associates in Fulton County, Georgia, and asked the candidates if they would support Trump if he is convicted and becomes the Republican presidential nominee. While Christie initially raised his hand, he then used the moment to bash the former president for challenging the results of the 2020 election.
“Whether or not you believe that the criminal charges are right or wrong, the conduct is beneath the office of president of the United States,” Christie said to boos from the audience.
Despite Christie’s claim, legally challenging the results of elections is a perfectly legal and normal process. What’s not normal or legal is America’s law enforcement agencies abusing their power to target the leading candidate of the opposition party in the lead-up to a major election. As it currently stands, Trump is facing more than 90 charges across four separate indictments, two of which include charges from President Joe Biden’s Justice Department.
In one case, the DOJ is charging Trump for allegedly mishandling classified documents. Yet, individuals such as Biden and Hillary Clinton — both of whom have mishandled classified information in the past — have not faced similar charges. Rather than highlight the egregiousness of America’s two-tiered justice system, Christie instead took shots at Trump.
“Here is the bottom line. Someone’s got to stop normalizing this conduct,” he said.
