Christie: Some GOP rivals auditioning for Trump roles

Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie suggested that some of his GOP rivals are “auditioning” for roles in former President Trump’s next administration, as they continue to defend the former president amid his ever-expanding legal troubles.

“In the end, I think that some of them are unwilling to do it because they don’t think it’s politically smart; some of them are auditioning for a potential Trump administration, and I think some of them just aren’t able to do it,” Christie said on an episode of “On with Kara Swisher” released Thursday. “They just physically aren’t equipped to be able to be in that combat.”

While the former New Jersey governor did not specify which of his fellow Republican candidates fell into each category, his comments came during a discussion of South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott’s recent comments about Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 riot.

“I hold the folks who broke into the Capitol with ill will in their hearts, destroying property, responsible for their actions,” Scott said at a town hall last month. “I don’t hold the former president, who didn’t show up at the Capitol and threaten my life, as responsible.”

Christie argued Thursday that Trump is “morally responsible” for the attack on the Capitol, adding that he doesn’t know “how Tim comes to any other conclusion.”

“None of those facts [about Trump’s actions on Jan. 6] are disputed,” Christie added. “So, I don’t know how you look at that set of facts, and Tim’s a smart guy, and you can’t come to the conclusion — I’m not talking about criminally responsible, I’ll wait to see the indictment and see what it says — but you’re morally responsible.”

Trump was indicted on four counts Tuesday over his efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election, which culminated in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. The former president is set to make his first court appearance in the case Thursday in Washington, D.C.

–Updated at 12:22 p.m.

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