Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has little sympathy for President Donald Trump amid MAGA’s meltdown over the “Epstein files.”
The administration has found itself at the center of a political firestorm after the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation acknowledged late last week that Epstein likely died by suicide while awaiting trial for sex traffickign in 2019, rather than being murdered, and that he kept no “client list” of uber-wealthy associates involved in his crimes—both facts that upended long-held conspiracy theories among the president’s supporters.
“What Donald Trump is learning is when you start the fire, sometimes you can’t put it out,” Christie told co-host Jonathan Karl during a panel discussion on ABC’s This Week Sunday.
“He started this Epstein fire during the campaign and prior to that by alleging this was all some Democratic plot—he used that to fire up his own base,” Christie added. “Now you get into the job and you realize maybe you don’t want to do that.”
In the wake of the revelations, Trump’s supporters have called on the president to fire Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said in February that Epstein’s “client list” was “sitting on my desk right now to review.”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino took Bondi to the task at the White House on Wednesday, accusing her of overpromising and underdelivering on Trump’s campaign pledge to release all files related to the disgraced financier. Bongino failed to show up to work on Friday and has reportedly threatened to resign if Bondi remains. “It’s me or her,” Bongino said, according to Axios. “She goes or I go.”
Trump tried to calm the waters on Saturday, defending Bondi on Truth Social.
“What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’” Trump posted. “They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening.”
Christie said there is an obvious reason Trump has rushed to the defense of his attorney general.
“Let’s be clear about this… There’s no chance, in my opinion, that Pam Bondi made this decision on her own,” Christie said. “She was instructed by the White House that we’re not releasing this stuff, and that’s why he’s defending her.”
Christie further pushed back on the suggestion that this was a fight between his surrogates.
“We cannot let the president off that easily,” Christie said. “He benefited directly from it. He fueled it. He encouraged it. And he certainly didn’t stop it.”
If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
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