Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie laid into Donald Trump in a CNN town hall Monday night, calling the former president "angry" and "vengeful" and accusing him of "vanity run amok" within the event's opening minutes.
His comments set the tone for the night and made clear that Christie -- who leaned into his own record as a former federal prosecutor -- sees his role in the 2024 Republican presidential primary as being the chief critic of Trump, willing to take on the front-runner while most other contenders duck confrontation.
"I am convinced that if (Trump) goes back to the White House, that the next four years will all just be about him settling scores," the former governor said.
"He has shown himself, particularly in his post-presidency," Christie said, "to be completely self-centered, completely self-consumed and doesn't give a damn about the American people, in my point of view."
Here are three takeaways from Christie's town hall, hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper at the network's New York bureau:
Christie slams Trump -- and other candidates -- over reaction to indictment
Christie began the town hall by slamming Trump for the alleged behavior spelled out in the federal indictment against the former president. But he also had harsh words -- and a message -- for his other primary rivals.
"Whether you like Donald Trump or you don't like Donald Trump ... this conduct is inexcusable," Christie said.
Asked what he thought was the most damning part of the indictment, the former US attorney for the District of New Jersey said there was too much to choose from.
First, Christie said, was the "nature of the documents" that Trump is accused of unlawfully retaining after leaving office. That trove is believed to include plans for war with Iran, details about US nuclear weapons and daily security briefings from his time in office.
After that, Christie pointed to the implication in the indictment that Trump lied and tried to involve his personal lawyer, who eventually ended up being made to turn over documents to prosecutors.
Third, he said, was the simple fact that Trump is "voluntarily putting our country through this" -- a reference to the fact that Trump was repeatedly asked by the government to return the sensitive documents long before the issue escalated to a legal matter.
"This is all (Trump) saying ... 'I'm more important than the country,'" Christie said.
Christie also slammed the other GOP primary candidates for either hedging or taking Trump's side by attacking the Justice Department.
"They're playing political games with you," Christie told the audience, arguing that his rivals were trying to stay close to Trump now in hopes of being able to compete for his supporters should he be forced out of the race.
Christie makes the case ... for Christie
Christie has cornered the market on Trump criticism in the GOP primary, but on Monday, he also attempted to sell his own candidacy to voters.
"You've seen me operate. I don't go and lay down," Christie said in response to a question from New Jersey voter. "I fight, but the skill in this business is to fight and fight and fight and then know when the moment is to take your win and go."
Christie -- who made his name nationally through force of personality during his near-decade leading New Jersey -- then spun through some of his accomplishments in dealing with Democratic legislative leaders in the heavily Democratic state, including lowering property taxes and backing charter schools.
"I've been there, I've done it. I've done it in the toughest state," Christie said, allowing that perhaps New York, California and Illinois might be tougher on Republicans. "We are at least a suitable fourth," he joked.
Christie also pushed back on an audience member's concern that he would be too willing to compromise with Democrats, saying he's ready now to go to Washington and "make it work for Republican values in the right way."
The wrong way, Christie said later, is Trump's way -- when a leader's actions are dictated by anger.
"Sometimes you've got to be mad. Sometimes people make me mad," Christie said, offering a slightly glossed-over analysis of his time in office, when he frequently went viral for his outbursts at political opponents.
"I don't hold back," Christie added, but he insisted Trump's ire comes from a different, dangerous place that ignores the will and best interests of Americans.
A general election candidate in the Republican primary
Christie's colorful anti-Trump rhetoric can sometimes obscure an even larger challenge facing his candidacy: He is and has always been, at least in the current context, a political moderate.
When asked about guns and mass shootings, Christie called it the most difficult public policy question in American politics, then hedged on an answer, discussing the importance of law enforcement, mental health and a willingness to compromise in pursuit of a solution.
Pressed for a clear position on abortion rights, Christie said that he supported the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade but that the federal government "should not be involved" in legislating around the issue.
Those answers were likely less than satisfying to the conservatives who make up the lion's share of the GOP primary voter core.
Christie's attempts to straddle those two worlds can be dizzying at times -- like when he was asked who, in his view, was the bigger hazard to the country -- Trump or Biden?
It would seem like a slam dunk, given the dire warnings and harsh criticism he's leveled at Trump, whom he's described as a threat to democracy.
"Look, it's a coin flip," Christie said, unwilling to take the core argument of his campaign so far to its logical conclusion.
Christie says abortion access should be decided by states
Christie largely avoided addressing whether he supports new federal abortion restrictions in the wake of the reversal of Roe v. Wade, saying that the issue should be left to states to decide.
"We're not at a consensus point," he said.
Christie noted the differences between his home state of New Jersey, a blue state that does not restrict abortion access, and Oklahoma, a deep-red state that has banned the procedure in nearly all instances. He also pointed to Kansas, a red state where voters last year rejected an effort to amend the state's constitution to allow state lawmakers to ban abortions.
He also didn't criticize state-level efforts to restrict abortion rights, including Florida's ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy -- a measure that has been an important marker for DeSantis' presidential bid. Christie's answer largely aligns him with 2024 rival Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador who has also declined to say whether she supports a federal abortion ban after a certain number of weeks.
"I want to see that consensus, and then as president, I want to build off that consensus," Christie said. "Let's leave it to the states and if a consensus emerges, we'll know it."
Christie calls Russia-Ukraine conflict a 'proxy war with China'
Christie defended US support for Ukraine's military in that country's conflict with Russia, describing it as "a proxy war with China" and pointing out that Beijing is buying Russian oil and supplying Iran with drones.
He said that while US involvement in the war is unpleasant, "the alternative is for the Chinese to take over, the Russians, the Iranians and the North Koreans -- a bad foursome."
"For your children and my grandchildren, are they going to live in a world where China is setting the tone for this world? A communist dictatorship where they tell you how many children you can have? Where they tell you what you can think, what you can see and what you can hear? I don't want that kind of world for your kids, and I don't want it for my grandchildren," the former governor said.
Christie's comments came in response to a question about US spending on Ukraine's war effort at a time of domestic inflation and federal deficits.
"A big and great country should be able to do both," he said. "We should be able to get our spending under control, and we should be able to have a strong military that will stand up for friends around the world who are free."
