NJ Governor Chris Christie hasn’t abandoned Donald Trump, despite claiming he “won’t defend” the crude and predatory statements Trump made in a disturbing 2005 conversation with Billy Bush. Christie told WFAN radio that he was with Trump when news of the taped conversation came out. Christie said this:
“That kind of talk and conversation, even in private, is just unacceptable and so I made that very clear to Donald on Friday, when this first came out, and urged him to be contrite and apologetic because that’s what he needs to be.”
Christie’s advice to Trump doesn’t even pretend it’s anything but pragmatic. Sincerity gets about as far as a car in a New Jersey traffic jam. With his comment, Christie tacitly admits everything is part of the political pageantry, even when it’s as serious as confessing to routine sexual assault, as Trump appears to do on the tape. But Christie “urges” Trump to be contrite and apologetic because “that’s what he needs to be.” Not because he injures women with his comments and actions, or because his comments debase and demean the dialogue — both politically and between the sexes. Christie urged Trump to appear contrite solely because that’s what Christie believes is politically expedient. Christie said Trump was “embarrassed” by the tape — but even Christie never said he thought Trump was actually sorry.
