Chris Christie town hall – live: Christie compares ‘loser’ Trump to Voldemort and says evidence is ‘damning’

Former New Jersey governor and 2024 presidential candidate Chris Christie appeared before Americans on Monday night in a town hall hosted by CNN.

During the event, Mr Christie tore into Donald Trump, accusing the former president of “vanity run amok.”

“The conduct in there is awful,” Mr Christie said of the former president’s recent indictment.

The former New Jersey governor also hammered Mr Trump’s record on immigration, can called him a “child” who can’t accept losing the 2020 election.

Less than a week ago, Mr Christie officially entered the already-packed race for the Republican nomination. He joins former president Donald Trump, former vice president Mike Pence, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and more.

Thus far, the former New Jersey official is polling well behind the rest of the Republican frontrunners, barely cracking one per cent support.

Key Points

• Christie mocks ‘loser’ Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’ and accuses him of ‘vanity run amok’

• ‘Show me the evidence’: Chris Christie rips Trump election denialism during CNN town hall

• How to watch CNN town hall with Chris Christie

• What responsibility does Chris Christie have for Donald Trump’s rise to power?

How to watch CNN town hall with Chris Christie

Monday 12 June 2023 17:00 , Ariana Baio

Former New Jersey governor and 2024 presidential candidate Chris Christie will join CNN host Anderson Cooper tonight (12 June) for a town hall to discuss his campaign.

Mr Christie will take questions from Mr Cooper as well as a live audience of voters who say they plan to vote in the Republican presidential primary in their respective states.

The event will start 8pm EST.

Viewers with paying cable subscriptions can watch the town hall on CNN. Those without a cable login can stream the town hall on CNN.com, CNN’s mobile apps for iOS and Android and CNNgo.

The town hall will also be available on demand beginning Tuesday, 13 June.

Former New Jersey governor calls for immigration reform and to finish the border wall

02:34 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie told the audience at his CNN town hall on Monday that immigration reform is needed, and that he would finish the border wall project that was the centre of Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign

“You have to change the immigration laws to make them fairer, clearer, and have some teeth in them,” he said.

“You need a president who is going to sit down with both parties and say enough, enough posturing, let’s come to a solution,” he added. “Only if you have had to sit with your adversaries, listen to them, reason with them, and then come to an agreement, do you know how to do it. I don’t see anybody in this race other than me who has had the experience of doing that at the executive level.”

Chris Christie calls Roe v Wade ‘wrong’ and refuses to speak out on DeSantis abortion ban

02:18 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie is trying to walk a tight rope right now on abortion.

On the one hand, the former New Jersey governor says he is proudly against abortion, but he is also hesitating to speak explicitly about how far anti-abortion policy should go in the US.

“What I stand for is what conservatives have been arguing for 50 years, that Roe is wong, there is no federal constitutional right to an abortion and that the states should decide,” he said. “I absolutely believe each state should make their own decision on this. The federal government should not be involved unless and until there’s a consensus around the country from the 50 states making their decisions.”

When asked if he would support a federal abortion ban, Mr Christie responded that there were too many “ifs” in that hypothetical, and the former New Jersey governor also ruled out speaking on Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s 6-week abortion ban.

”That’s governor DeSantis’s decition to make along with the legislature in Florida,” he added. “The people will judge him on whether that’s harsh or not.”

Christie mocks ‘loser’ Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’ and accuses him of ‘vanity run amok’

02:07 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie was in peak form Monday evening as he laid into former President Donald Trump in his second town hall-style appearance as a presidential candidate.

The governor’s performance on CNN was in many ways a repeat of his initial launch event at St Anselm College in New Hampshire a week earlier. But the governor fine-tuned his attacks over the days ahead of his first cable news spot, and came out swinging against the Republican frontrunner.

He largely ignored his other GOP rivals as he took questions from voters and moderator Anderson Cooper, while landing every blow he could on his main rival (and former ally). Mr Christie hit his opponent on nearly every topic, from his most recent indictment for the mishandling of presidential records and violations of the Espionage Act to the performance of the Republican Party electorally since 2016, blame for which he laid squarely at the the feet of the de facto GOP leader.

“He flew the boxes up to New Jersey for summer vacation. What is this, like, they’re a family member?” Mr Christie vented at one point, referencing recent reporting on the 37-count indictment Mr Trump faces in the Southern District of Florida.

John Bowden has the full story.

Christie mocks ‘loser’ Trump for taking secret papers ‘on summer vacation’

‘Show me the evidence’: Chris Christie rips Trump election denialism during CNN town hall

01:59 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump is a “child” who can’t accept that he lost and instead has been spreading the “destructive” lie that the 2020 election was rigged, Chris Christie said on Monday night during a CNN town hall.

“Just show me the evidence. It’s the same thing I said to Donald Trump in the aftermath of the 2020 election,” he said. “But there’s no evidence. I’m sorry, all these conspiracy thoeries, he still talks about they were bringing boxes of ballots into Fulton County, Georgia, no many how many times we explain to him that’s the way they do it.”

Chris Christie says he feels ‘wholly inadequate’ to take on gun violence

01:57 , Josh Marcus

It’s a rare thing to see politicians say they’re not sure what to do, but that’s just what happened on Monday evening when the father of a victim of the Las Vegas mass shooting asked Chris Christie what he would do to tackle America’s epidemic of mass shootings,

The Republican candidate said his current ability to make a difference at this moment “wholly inadequate.”

“I’m mad because I don’t have a great answer,” the former New Jersey governor said. “I wish I did.”

Mr Christie added that “there’s not a lot more left to do” on the federal level, and called his past support for an assault weapons ban “naïvete.”

The 2024 candidate called for more of a focus on mental health and better policing.

Chris Christie blasts Donald Trump as a ‘three-time loser’

01:39 , Josh Marcus

Former New Jersey governor and 2024 candidate Chris Christie says Republicans are afraid to criticise Donald Trump by name or call out his unsuccessful record.

“He hasn’t won a damn thing since 2016,” Mr Christie said, blasting the former president as a “three-time loser” and noting how even after Trump left office, the Republican party was barely able to take back the House, despite midterm elections usually being a major boost for the opposition party.

The former New Jersey governor said other Republicans are treating Donald Trump like Voldemort.

”Nobody wants to mention his name,” Mr Chriustie said. “Say his name man, say his name...How do you beat someone if you don’t talk about them? How do you beat them if they don’t distinguish themselves from him?”

Chris Christie hammers spending in Washington but defends Ukraine aid

01:27 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie criticised the spending records of recent Republican and Democratic administrations in Washington, while arguing for continued aid to Ukraine.

The former New Jersey Democrat accused Joe Biden of pouring money into “crazy programmes” and driving inflation, but also noted that Donald Trump left Americans with a massive deficit before him.

“Donald Trump spent more money than Barack Obama did in a four year period, and left us with...one of the biggest deficits any president has ever had,” he said.

Mr Christie added that the Ukraine war was important because it is a “proxy war” with China.

“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 that are free,” he said. “My real concern about this is 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 about how many children you can have?”

Christie accuses Trump of ‘vanity run amok’ and slams GOP for ‘playing games'

01:17 , Josh Marcus

In a scathing commentary, Chris Christie accused Donald Trump of “inexcusable” conduct and the rest of the Republican party of playing “games” to cover it up.

“This is vanity run amok. Ego run amok,” the former New Jersey governor said on Monday during a CNN town hall of Donald Trump’s mishandling of classified documents.

“He cannot live with the fact that he lost to Joe Biden,” Mr Christie added. “He wants to continue to pretend he’s president. He wants the trappings of the president around him, and one of those trappings is these documents.”

The 2024 candidate also had sharp words for his fellow Republicans who have refused to condemn Mr Trump’s conduct.

“It’s indefensible,” he went on. “They’re playing games.”

Mr Christie accused the Republicans of hedging their bets, waiting for Mr Trump to implode on his own before stepping out and offering any criticisms.

Christie calls latest Trump indictment ‘awful'

01:07 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie is hammering Donald Trump over his latest criminal indictment.

“The conduct in there is awful,” the former New Jersey governor said during a CNN town hall on Monday.

“That’s obstruction of justice if it’s true,” he added.

The 2024 candidate also said he thinks there are probably even worse revelations in store about Mr Trump’s conduct.

“There will guaranteed be a lot more. When you’re a prosecutor, you don’t put every card on the table before the trial.”

Here’s more info on the indictment.

Trump accused of showing classified papers to unauthorised persons

Chris Christie is about to take the stage for CNN town hall

Tuesday 13 June 2023 00:58 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie is about to take the stage in a CNN town hall-style event, the former New Jersey governor’s biggest chance yet to campaign with the American public.

We’ll be covering all the biggest moments live.

The many chapters of the Christie-Trump saga

Tuesday 13 June 2023 00:30 , Josh Marcus

Donald Trump and Chris Christie have gone from allies to enemies more times than the characters in Game of Thrones.

The former New Jersey governor has been Mr Trump’s campaign rival, administration adviser, and was once discussed as a possible Trump attorney general.

Here’s more background on their turbulent relationship.

Donald Trump thinks the Oval Office is his

Chris Christie says Jan 6 was ‘incited by Donald Trump’ to ‘overturn the election’

New book claims Trump told Chris Christie not to say he got Covid from him

Chris Christie hits back at Trump’s mockery over his weight: ‘Such a spoiled baby’

Christie: Trump reruns would be worse than original show

Donald Trump doesn’t seem that worried about Chris Christie

Monday 12 June 2023 23:57 , Josh Marcus

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie is likely to go after Donald Trump this evening during a townhall event on CNN.

But a potential barrage from the 2024 candidate doesn’t seem too high on the concern list for Mr Trump.

A campaign ad released today on Truth Social doesn’t mention Mr Christie at all, instead hammering Joe Biden and the “corrupt radical left prosecutors” who have brought criminal charges against Mr Trump.

On Monday, as Mr Trump boarded a private jet to Miami where he is set to face his second criminal indictment this year, the ex-president continued to rail against the Biden family.

“I WILL APPOINT A REAL SPECIAL ‘PROSECUTOR’ TO GO AFTER THE MOST CORRUPT PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE USA, JOE BIDEN, THE ENTIRE BIDEN CRIME FAMILY, & ALL OTHERS INVOLVED WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR ELECTIONS, BORDERS, & COUNTRY ITSELF!” fumed Mr Trump in an all-caps rant posted around noon.

Read more about how Donald Trump is handling this moment, and why it seems he has bigger fish to fry than his rivals in the 2024 field.

Trump vows to ‘go after’ Biden’s family as he boards Miami arraignment private jet

Chris Christie’s unlikely ally in sports media

Monday 12 June 2023 23:00 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie, who is barely polling in the single digits, could certainly use some allies.

Last week, sports fans were surprised when ESPN personality Stephen Smith threw his weight behind the former New Jersey governor’s longshot campaign.

“Yes, I know the Gov. Yes, he’s a friend. But this has nothing to do with endorsing him nor anyone else,” Mr Smith wrote on Twitter, attaching a link to the Christie campaign. “This is about helping the Gov get on that debate stage so we can all see who’s the best man or woman for the job.”

Mr Smith has said he previously voted for Joe Biden, but wants a new name to hold the White House in 2024, given Mr Biden’s advanced age.

“Somebody’s gotta say it, so I’m gonna say it: We need a new president in 2024. We need a new president,” Mr Smith said on his podcast last week.

“I voted for him, and based on some of the leading candidates on the right side, I’d probably be forced to vote for him again ’cause they scare the living hell outta me with some of the things that they’re preaching about. But I wouldn’t like it,” Mr Smith added.

Will Chris Christie hit Donald Trump on immigration?

Monday 12 June 2023 22:30 , Josh Marcus

Chris Christie is blazing his own path within the GOP when it comes to the issue of immigration.

Many in the Republican party and the conservative media apparatus have sought to paint every issue at the border as the result of Joe Biden’s policies, but the former New Jersey governor is reaching further back.

He argued earlier this month that criticisms of illegal immigration should be directed towards Donald Trump.

“It is his fault because he never changed one immigration law in the two years that he had Republican control of Congress,” Mr Christie said earlier this month while announcing his presidential campaign during an event in New Hampshire. “Not one immigration law did he change. He didn’t build the wall, and Mexico is laughing at the idea that they were going to pay for a wall on their border.”

As PolitiFact notes, Donald Trump issued an unprecedented 472 executive actions related to immigration, but didn’t put any long-term changes in place that reduced illegal migration or cleared asylum backlogs.

A likely theme of tonight’s town hall: the latest Trump indictment

Monday 12 June 2023 22:00 , Josh Marcus

Tonight’s Chris Christie town hall will likely mention the recent federal indictment of Donald Trump for showing highly classified nuclear and military information to unauthorised persons.

The former New Jersey governor has made a point to criticise Mr Trump as being a loose canon and an untrustworthy figure to have in the White House.

Here’s more of our reporting on the indictment.

The federal charges against Donald Trump

Is Chris Christie’s campaign DOA?

Monday 12 June 2023 21:30 , Josh Marcus

The pollls are not looking great for Chris Christie.

Despite being a high-profile national political figure, the former New Jersey governor is barely cracking one per cent support as a 2024 candidate, according to a RealClear Politics average of national polls.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, is nearly 50 times more popular.

Chris Christie’s pitch: I’m the adult in the room

Monday 12 June 2023 21:00 , Josh Marcus

Allies of Chris Christie seem to be hoping that the former New Jersey governor’s reputation as a no-nonsense guy will be enough to peel off some Republican voters after the chaos of the Trump years.

A recent ad from Tell It Like It Is, a pro-Christie PAC, is titled “Qualified,” and features the former governor telling an audience of New Hampshire voters, “These are real problems that real serious people need to solve by putting your interests first, not their own.”

The approach is a pretty straightforward one, but it raises some interesting questions about the American electorate.

Namely, what if people like that Donald Trump isn’t really qualified to be president? What if they like that he rose to power by being more outrageous and attention-grabbing than everyone else?

Even after multiple indictments, years of scandals, and a humiliating one-term presidency, Mr Trump is still extremely popular with the Republican base, with polls showing the former president with over twice the support of his nearest rivals.

If voters genuinely wanted the adult in the room, one wonders if we would really see this kind of continued support.

The hometown view on Christie? Not a winner, but maybe a helpful foil for Trump

Monday 12 June 2023 20:30 , Josh Marcus

Commentators in Chris Christie’s home state of New Jersey are taking a somewhat dim view of the former governor’s run for the White House in 2024.

Many don’t believe he’s going to win, or even that his criticisms of Donald Trump are sincere.

”Like any standard politician, he has hoisted his finger to the wind to see which way it’s blowing,” Dick Polman writes today in the New Jersey Monitor.

As Saladin Ambar notes in NJ Spotlight New, there has never been a governor who has successfully beaten their party’s incumbent to take the presidential nominee.

Despite the long odds, and doubts that Christie, the on-again, off-again ally of Mr Trump, has really changed his ways, some opinion writers believe his candidacy may still be worthwhile.

“Christie can still serve a good purpose if, as already evidenced, he’s willing to say the stuff that has long needed to be said,” Mr Polman adds.

The question remains, if Mr Christie continues to say the quiet part out loud and criticise Donald Trump, will that have any way on the former president’s massive, loyal base?

What responsibility does Chris Christie have for Donald Trump’s rise to power?

Monday 12 June 2023 20:00 , Josh Marcus

The year was 2016, and Chris Christie had just dropped out of the presidential race, throwing his support behind Donald Trump.

Mr Christie’s endorsement of the future president lent him credibility and gave Republicans something they needed to cast their ballot for the reality television star who had never held public office before – permission.

Now, Mr Christie has announced another quixotic White House run. As an elected official who left his office in disgrace and who has not held a position for years in a radically changed GOP, Mr Christie is unlikely to win. But most observers see his run as an attempt to stop Mr Trump from winning again.

Republicans are about as likely to receive his message warning about the perils of another Trump presidency as they would be likely to receive the message from Liz Cheney.

Read more from our DC bureau chief Eric Garcia on how we should think about Chris Christie’s legacy – and his future.

Chris Christie gave Trump legitimacy. Now he can’t stop Trump in 2024

Fox News host apologises for ‘milkshake’ Chris Christie comment

Monday 12 June 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio

A Fox News host has apologised after making a barbed remark about Chris Christie’s weight and his ability to down a milkshake.

John Roberts mocked the former New Jersey governor as he discussed his entry into the 2024 presidential race on the right-wing channel’s show America Reports.

Roberts made the comment as he compared the fight for the Republican nomination to two milkshakes, one being drunk by Donald Trump and the other by the remaining candidates.

John Bowden reports:

Fox News host apologises for ‘milkshake’ Chris Christie comment

Chris Christie says he ‘won’t be holding back’ during town hall

Monday 12 June 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie said he would be taking questions from the audience during his town hall with Anderson Cooper on CNN tonight and he doesn’t plan to hold back in his answers.

“I’ll be joining [Anderson Cooper] for a live town hall on CNN tonight at 8pm ET. Tune in as I answer questions from a live audience. I won’t be holding back,” Mr Christie tweeted on Monday afternoon.

The former New Jersey governor is known for his self-assertive and no-nonsense attitude toward politics.

Who is running for president in 2024?

Monday 12 June 2023 18:30 , Ariana Baio

Chris Christie joins the likes of President Joe Biden, former president Donald Trump, former vice president Mike Pence and more in his bid for the White House.

Here’s who else is running for president in 2024:

Who is running for president in 2024?

Chris Christie calls Donald Trump mocking his weight: ‘childish'

Monday 12 June 2023 18:00 , Ariana Baio

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie likened former president Donald Trump mocking his weight to a child’s behavior.

While speaking with Jake Tapper, Mr Christie commented on Mr Trump’s attacks saying he responds in a childish way anytime a person criticises him.

“It renewed in my own mind what a child he is. He’s a baby,” Mr Christie said on CNN. “Whenever you want to criticise him, in any way, that’s the way he responds.”

Mr Trump mocked Mr Christie’s weight following his 2024 campaign announcement.

“It’s so juvenile. He is such a spoiled baby,” Mr Christie added.

VOICES: Chris Christie gave Trump legitimacy. Now he can’t stop Trump in 2024

Monday 12 June 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio

“The 2012 presidential race was likely Chris Christie’s time. In 2009, he won the governorship in staunchly Democratic New Jersey and had become a favorite of conservatives for his willingness to combat teachers’ unions and other Democratic groups in moments that went viral in the right-wing media ecosystem. It was “owning the libs” before “owning the libs” was a thing.

Now, Mr Christie has announced another quixotic White House run. As an elected official who left his office in disgrace and who has not held a position for years in a radically changed GOP, Mr Christie is unlikely to win. But most observers see his run as an attempt to stop Mr Trump from winning again.”

Eric Garcia writes:

Chris Christie gave Trump legitimacy. Now he can’t stop Trump in 2024

Chris Christie describes moments Trump ‘disqualified’ himself

Monday 12 June 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio

ICYMI: Chris Christie targets Donald Trump as he sets up bitter 2024 battle

Monday 12 June 2023 16:22 , Ariana Baio

The battle for the Republican nomination just got a whole lot messier.

That was the defining message of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s campaign launch on Tuesday: get ready for blood.

Calling out his opponents by name, deconstructing their campaign slogans and clever quips — Chris Christie was in prime form on Tuesday evening at St Anselm College in New Hampshire, where he addressed a small crowd of voters in a town hall-style event and put his sights clear on his top rival, Donald Trump.

John Bowden reports:

Chris Christie targets his former friend Trump as he sets up bitter 2024 battle