GOP presidential candidate and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says Donald Trump is “almost certain” to “face jail” if the Mar-a-Lago classified document case goes to trial.
What Happened: As a former federal prosecutor, Christie, in an interview with CNN, said he believes that it would be risky for the former president to proceed with a trial in his classified documents case. He called it a “roll of the dice.”
"When you know you're guilty — and my suspicion is Donald Trump knows he's guilty — you go and you take a case to trial, there will then be a presumption of jail time."
See Also: Trump's Personal Valet Pleads Not Guilty To Concealing Top-Secret Documents At Mar-a-Lago Resort
According to Christie, if Trump were to compel the government to present its case against him in court, the likelihood of him being convicted and subsequently going to jail is “almost certain.”
"If you make the case go to trial, if you force us to go and put the witnesses on stand and the judge to take the time and the jury to take the time, and you're prosecuted and convicted, then it's almost certain that you would face jail."
Why It Matters: Amid the escalating competition for the Republican nomination, Trump and Christie have been launching a barrage of accusations against each other. Earlier, Christie, in a tweet, called Trump a crybaby and loser for threatening to skip primary debates. Trump also targeted Christie for his weight.
The former president pleaded not guilty in May to 37 counts related to his handling of classified documents, about 300 of which were recovered from his Mar-a-Lago residence last year by the FBI.
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