Chris Christie criticizes Trump team’s ‘bravado’ about Manhattan grand jury indictment

Former Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey has made his first public comments regarding the indictment of former President Donald Trump on charges, that are still sealed according to reports.

In a statement on ABC’s This Week, Christie criticized the bold talk from Trump’s team about the indictment and said that it was unnecessary. He stated that the former President will go through the same process as every other indicted individual and will be charged on Tuesday, and will, like other indicted persons, be fingerprinted, mugshot taken and face a criminal trial in Manhattan.

Speaking about the prosecutor, Alvin Bragg, Christie, who has not closed the door on a run for President in 2024, criticized the charges considering the alleged facts that are publicly available, questioning whether the charges would make New York City any safer.

Christie further explained that because resources are limited for prosecutors, they don’t have to charge every crime, and they can use their discretion to determine the course of an investigation.

Trump is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, with the charges expected to be unsealed after he is arraigned. He is the first former President to be criminally indicted.

The indictment appears to have stemmed from a previous investigation into allegedly falsified business records regarding a $130,000 reimbursement of Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen for paying off porn star Stormy Daniels regarding an alleged affair she had with Trump in 2016 while he was running for president. Trump has maintained his innocence, calling the indictment an unprecedented attack on the country.

Christie has not ruled out a 2024 run for president, stating that he plans to make his decision within the next 60 days. Christie had recently made an appearance in New Hampshire, adding fuel to the speculation of his presidential candidacy.