Chris Christie Slams Trump's Authoritarian Tendencies: 'He Acts Like Someone Who Wants To Be A Dictator'

In a recent discourse, Chris Christie, the former Governor of New Jersey, rebuked former President Donald Trump and other potential Republican Presidential candidates. Christie likened Trump’s actions to those of a dictator and dismissed his potential candidacy for the 2024 presidential race.

What Happened: According to a report by USA Today, Christie, in a conversation with CBS’ Margaret Brennan, suggested that Trump’s actions mirror those of a dictator. The former governor also took issue with his fellow Republicans for their apparent unwillingness to criticize Trump.

“The reason is that he acts like someone who doesn’t care about our democracy. He acts like someone who wants to be a dictator. He acts like someone who doesn’t care for the Constitution.” said Christie

Christie, once a staunch ally of Trump, made comparisons between the ex-president’s actions and those of infamous dictators such as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. He highlighted Trump’s controversial call last year for the “termination” of parts of the U.S. Constitution.

In the same interview, Christie also took aim at other potential Republican presidential candidates, specifically Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, affirming his stance against backing Trump as the 2024 Republican nominee.

He pointed to the GOP primary debate that took place in August when candidates were asked to raise hands on whether they would support Trump’s potential nomination in 2024 even if he was convicted on criminal charges.

“They all raised their hands. I did not, and I think I’ve made it very, very clear how I feel about this, and if folks want to return to some decency and civility why would you ever vote for Donald Trump?”

See Also: Trump Vs. Biden: Current President Takes Back Lead In 2024 Election Poll, Here’s The Current Margin

Why It Matters: Christie’s comments come after a series of public criticisms of Trump. In September 2023, Christie slammed Trump’s call for the Republican National Committee to cancel remaining primary debates as “selfish,” suggesting he was afraid of competition.

In November 2023, following former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows receiving immunity in a case against Trump, Christie predicted that Trump would be convicted in his ongoing legal proceedings. He stated, "this is deadly, it’s done. He’s going to be convicted. … It’s over.”

Photo by Christopher Halloran on Shutterstock

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