Chris Christie Nukes Trump For Picking J.D. Vance as VP: ‘Not a Message of Unity’

CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday night covered former New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie publishing an op-ed in the New York Times hammering Donald Trump for picking Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as his vice president after Vance blamed Democrats for the assassination attempt on Trump.

Tapper reported, “There is an op-ed that has been published in the New York Times from former New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie, who has been quite critical of Donald Trump. In fact, one of the only people to run against Donald Trump for president, in this last election cycle and not turn around and endorse Donald Trump. In it, he criticizes the harsh rhetoric that is out there, in the debate in America today.”

“He says Mr. Trump has the opportunity, opportunity to rein in some of the worst rhetorical impulses of the Republican Party. At its convention this week, he can point to the party and its leadership in a new direction in the wake of an assassination attempt against him. But, Mr. Christie writes, early indications are less than promising,” Tapper continued, adding:

Chris Christie goes on to say that the selection of Senator JD Vance of Ohio as Mr. Trump’s running mate, quote, ‘Doubles down on the portion of the party already completely devoted to him. Rather than reaches out to the broader party and beyond. Mr. Vance’s first reaction to the assassination attempt against Mr. Trump was to turn directly to the current flawed playbook, demonize the other side, and lay the blame at the feet of the Democrats as if they had pulled the trigger themselves. Clearly, this is not a message of unity in the face of what could have been a national tragedy.’

But Mr. Christie goes on Mr. Trump, President Trump can demonstrate the will to change not just how we speak to one another, but also how we act. And, it goes on from there.

Dana Bash , quite something for Chris Christie on the second night of the convention, to publish an op-ed, criticizing, the selection of the running mate, for Donald Trump.

Bash replied, “It sure is. As you mentioned, unlike Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis, who are going to be speaking tonight and some of Donald Trump’s 2016 rivals who will also be speaking tonight, Chris Christie, who was the first to endorse, first former rival to endorse Donald Trump in 2016, is not only not here, he is not on board at all.”

“And the fact that he wrote this, not only about J.D. Vance and criticizing J.D. Vance as the pick as, a decidedly from his perspective, uninspired choice because it doesn’t expand the base and it doesn’t expand the party,” Bash added, concluding:

But on the notion of violence, you know, we have heard so many Republicans go after Democrats for their criticism, of Republicans using language that perhaps now that some Democrats regret using. But what he’s saying in here is, come on everybody, he didn’t write this, but I’m trying to speak Chris Christie, stop clutching your pearls. Everybody does it. Republicans do it. Democrats, do it. Republicans perhaps even more. He pointed specifically to January 6th. Made a connection between January 6th and the violence there and the assassination attempt on the former president.

Watch the clip above via CNN.