GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie calls Trump a ‘one man crime wave’

Former New Jersey governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie offered his opinion on Donald Trump's likely third indictment during a podcast interview on Thursday.

On Thursday, Mr Trump's lawyers were told that a third indictment related to Special Council Jack Smith's investigation into the Capitol riot and the former president's attempts to overturn the 2020 election was likely imminent.

Mr Christie appeared on Thursday's episode of Pod Save America to discuss the 2024 election and the implications of Mr Trump's various criminal cases.

Host Jon Lovett asked Mr Christie if he had ever heard of someone "facing between four and six trials within a few months for different legal issues," referring to Mr Trump.

“No. No. Usually, folks like this commit discrete crimes and wind up having one trial," Mr Christie quipped. "This guy has been a one man crime wave. Look, he’s earned every one of them. If you look at it, every one of these is self-inflicted. And that’s why, you know, do I think that prosecutors exercise prosecutorial judgment in discretion in some respects that are questionable? Yeah – and they always have. But what I say to people all the time is whether you agree or disagree with the prosecutors, look at the underlying conduct.”

He asked listeners to ask themselves if Mr Trump's conduct is conducive to "someone who wants to be the president of the United States."

Though Mr Christie has little to say in support of Mr Trump, he did offer one point of agreement; he also believed the charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg relating to alleged hush money the former president paid to Stormy Daniels were bogus.

“The prosecution of Manhattan is one that I wouldn’t have brought as a prosecutor. But do we want someone as president who is willing to pay off a porn star who he had an affair with, two months before a national election to hide it from the people who he’s asking for their vote for president of the United States? I think that’s probably conduct that we should be frowning upon,” Mr Christie said.

He said he "didn't believe" in Mr Bragg's case, but offered that he does "absolutely believe" Mr Smith's.

Mr Trump has been a frequent target for Mr Christie, who recently slammed comments made by GOP Senator Tim Scott defending the former president against claims that he was responsible for the Capitol riot.

Mr Scott said that because Mr Trump was not physically present at the riot, he was not responsible for the MAGA supporters who "threatened my life."

Mr Christie called the comments "disappointing."

“Tim Scott said what he said [Sunday] for the hope that he can pander some people who currently support Donald Trump, and, he thinks, may leave Donald Trump after all these indictments and then they’ll look at Tim and say ‘well, Tim didn’t say bad things about Donald Trump. So maybe I’ll vote for him.’ That’s wrong,” he told a crowd during a campaign event in New Hampshire.

He expounded further during a meeting with local business leaders in Manchester, New Hampshire, likening Mr Trump to the Harry Potter villain Voldemort.

“He’s like Voldemort in the Harry Potter books, he who shall not be named. The other candidates won’t even name him.” Mr Christie said. “Nikki Haley says, ‘the candidates who’s about the past.’ Nikki, it’s okay. Say his name. It’s alright.”