Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie did not hold back in his criticism of Donald Trump’s recent display of xenophobia, a sentiment he expressed on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, December 19, 2023.
During a campaign event in New Hampshire, Trump’s use of xenophobic rhetoric, alleging that immigrants are “pouring” into the United States and “poisoning the blood of our country,” drew sharp condemnation from Christie, known for his historical disagreements with Trump.
In a candid interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Christie characterized Trump’s comments as “disgusting” and accused him of using dog-whistle politics to appeal to Americans facing economic challenges and global conflicts. “He’s dog-whistling to blame it on people from areas that don’t look like us,” Christie stated emphatically.
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Christie’s critique extended beyond Trump’s inflammatory language, targeting fellow Republicans, including members of Congress and primary candidate Nikki Haley, for enabling Trump’s divisive rhetoric. He questioned the suitability of a leader who makes derogatory statements, challenging whether such an individual is fit to be the President of the United States.
During Trump’s Saturday speech, in addition to attacking immigrants, he took aim at President Joe Biden, labeling him a “threat to democracy” and predicting a political earthquake where the American people would remove Biden and the anti-Democratic Party from office.
In a departure from Trump’s divisive rhetoric, Christie underscored his commitment to truth and rejected such statements. “I’m in this race to let people know it’s not okay. It’s not okay for an American president to be saying these things. We’re going to take Donald Trump out by telling the truth because the truth matters,” declared Christie.
This is not the first instance of Trump’s inflammatory comments on immigrants. Last month in New Hampshire, he compared immigrants to “vermin,” a statement that drew comparisons from President Biden to “language you heard in fascist Germany.”
The escalating tension within the Republican Party, epitomized by figures like Chris Christie openly challenging Trump, underscores the deep divisions and ideological struggles within the GOP as it navigates the post-Trump era.
