There was a time when former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was a Republican star. His Jersey tough talk and handling of Superstorm Sandy helped him coast to reelection in a blue state.
Early in his first term, many in the GOP wanted him to challenge Barack Obama and run for president in 2012.
Then came Bridgegate and the state government shutdown, where he was famously pictured sitting with his wife on a state park beach otherwise closed to the public. On a sunny Fourth of July weekend, no less.
By the time Christie ran for president in 2016, many had tired of his bullying and bluster. He dropped out after finishing sixth in the New Hampshire primary and endorsed Donald Trump. After Trump won, Christie briefly served as head of his transition committee.
He continued to suck up to Trump in hopes of landing a job in his administration. After attending a White House superspreader event and helping Trump prepare for a debate in October 2020, Christie tested positive for COVID-19 and spent a week in intensive care.
Christie finally broke with Trump in 2020 after the president claimed the election was stolen as ballots were still being counted.
Flash forward to today and the old Christie is back, talking tough and running for president on a campaign centered on bashing Trump. He's called Trump "angry," "vengeful," and a "loser." Christie said Trump is "self-centered, completely self-consumed, and doesn't give a damn about the American people."
Christie, a former federal prosecutor, said the U.S. Justice Department's indictment of Trump for mishandling classified documents, including war plans and nuclear secrets, was "devastating." Unlike the many Trump supporters who claim the indictment is part of a partisan witch hunt, Christie said the criminal charges were "damning" and "completely self-inflicted." He added that Trump's "conduct is bad."
What caused Christie's conversion?
"Turns out I was wrong," he said about his past support of Trump.
Christie's Road to Damascus has been long and tortured, but his willingness to go where most Republicans fear to tread is a needed tonic for a party that has lost its way as it follows Trump deeper and deeper into delusion. While Christie is an imperfect messenger, he is the only GOP presidential candidate willing to say the wannabe emperor has no clothes.
Other Republican candidates continue to tiptoe around Trump so as not to upset his loyal MAGA base. After Trump was indicted, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attacked the Justice Department, railing against the "weaponization of federal law enforcement."
Former vice president and chief lapdog Mike Pence said he "can't defend" the allegations against Trump, but quickly shifted to strained whataboutism by invoking the investigations of Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden. Pence's half-step comes after Trump said he deserved to be hanged.
Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech executive Vivek Ramaswamy, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, and conservative radio show host Larry Elder all indicated they would pardon Trump. The GOP's continued defense of the defenseless Trump is embarrassing and reckless.
Christie is unlikely to win the Republican nomination, but he is doing the country a service by speaking out. Such backbone has long been missing in a GOP that has been hijacked by a "consummate narcissist."
The twice-impeached and twice-indicted former president remains a danger to democracy. He helped incite a deadly insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and continues to stoke fury that has fueled talk of violence and civil war.
Trump spent his one chaotic term in office abusing power, spreading lies, increasing the national debt, mismanaging the pandemic, angering allies, cozying up to dictators, fanning racial tensions, and dividing the country.
By virtually any objective measure, Trump ranks among the worst presidents in history, yet many GOP voters say they want more. If Trump, 77, is reelected, it's not hyperbolic to imagine the upending of the republic as we know it.
Trump has already floated authoritarian ideas that include executing drug dealers, moving the unhoused to tent cities, deploying the military to quell protests, eliminating the U.S. Education Department, and restricting voting to one day. Trump has declined to say if he would support Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Trump previewed the tenor of his second term when he bluntly told supporters, "I am your retribution."
The sooner the GOP can move past Trump, the better off the country and the world will be. Christie is not a cure-all, but he can play an important role in a Republican presidential campaign filled with kabuki theater.
