Former Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, did not mince words as he lashed out at former President Donald Trump, whom he termed "disgraceful" for deploying campaign contributions to foot his legal bills. Christie accused Trump of continuously exploiting the financial support of his fervent Make America Great Again (MAGA) followers.
This sharp criticism from Christie comes in the wake of a second indictment for Trump, during which his campaign leveraged the threat of his potential incarceration to solicit donations. According to Christie, Trump's motive for redirecting campaign resources to his legal defense is simply because he is "the cheapest person I’ve ever met in my life."
In a conversation with CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Christie expressed his outrage over Trump's decision to shift funding raised for his possible 2024 campaign to his Save America political action committee, which has been used to cover personal legal expenses.
In Christie's view, Trump's decision to divert the funds was not only "disgraceful" but also an act of betrayal against his middle-class supporters who donate because they support his political aspirations.
"He’s appealing to middle-class Americans, who are contributing 15, 25, 50, $100 because they are believers in Donald Trump and wish to see him re-elected," Christie said. "They are not donating so that he can cover his personal legal costs."
Christie further cast doubt on why a "self-professed billionaire" like Trump should need public funding to handle legal fees.
"He’s a billionaire, self-proclaimed," said Christie. "Why can’t he use his own funds to pay for his personal legal bills, rather than using public money? It’s a disgrace, and it’s an ongoing exploitation."
According to Christie, the Trump family's engagement in exploitative activities isn't new. The former governor pointed to instances such as when Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, received $2 billion from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund just six months after leaving the White House.
"All this is simply a perpetuation of what he’s allowed his family to do throughout his presidency," concluded Christie, implying a pattern of exploiting public resources and trust.