Former NJ Governor and GOP presidential hopeful Chris Christie is betting he can turn the tables on Donald Trump‘s enduring Republican party support — by highlighting the former President’s irreconcilable contradictions.
The Trump contradiction Christie has in his sights at the moment is the former President’s portrayal of himself as tough hombre, while simultaneously claiming permanent victim status.
Addressing Trump’s reluctance to participate in a GOP presidential debate (because it will be “unfair”), Christie writes: “Trump says he doesn’t ‘think it’s fair’ for him to have to debate. Crybabies and losers say life isn’t fair. And Trump is both.”
Trump says he doesn’t “think it’s fair” for him to have to debate.
— Chris Christie (@GovChristie) June 22, 2023
Crybabies and losers say life isn’t fair. And Trump is both.
Want to be President? Then get in the ring pal… pic.twitter.com/8oW1WxNWN4
Christie’s strategy isn’t new — billionaire Mark Cuban called out Trump for his pity party tendencies back in 2020, saying of then-President Trump:
“He’s the most powerful man in the world and he always plays the victim card. ‘The Dems are out to get me, the media is out to get me.’ You’ve got to be the leader, you’ve got to be the strongest man in the game.”
Christie is now piling on Trump with the same accusation, that his claims of victimhood are a sign of weakness — and are not what the GOP needs. Christie unleashed a barrage of social media posts in which he lets Trump’s own words tell the story of former president constantly crying “unfair.”
Trump on basically everyone: "No politician in history — and I say this with great surety — has been treated worse or more unfairly.”
— Chris Christie (@GovChristie) June 22, 2023
Christie calculates, rightly or wrongly, that what he characterizes as Trump’s whining about victimhood will finally grate on those voters who have far greater challenges in life than Trump does, and who don’t do nearly as much complaining.
Trump on the Republican Party. “@WSJ reports that @GOP getting ready to treat me unfairly—big spending planned against me. That wasn’t the deal!”
— Chris Christie (@GovChristie) June 22, 2023
Christie unleashed a barrage of Trump quotes gathered from his many years of self-perceived persecution and unfair treatment.
Trump on CNN: “Wow, @CNN has nothing but my opponents on their shows. Really one-sided and unfair reporting.”
— Chris Christie (@GovChristie) June 22, 2023
This barrage follows Christie’s previous tweet bomb of Trump insulting people he once hired and with whom he subsequently suffered a break, including Elaine Chao, Rex Tillerson, Mick Mulvaney, John Bolton and Mark Esper.
Christie has promised to go after Trump directly, and his most recent tactic — to beat up Trump with his own words, relying on Trump to self-incriminate — is a tactic that Christie may even share with Special Prosecutor Jack Smith.
