Chris Christie claims Democrats are as crazy as Trump’s GOP — and MSNBC’s Morning Joe slaps him down

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on MSNBC Monday tried to claim that Democrats are as crazy and hateful as the Republican Party in the age of President Donald Trump, and was promptly shut down by host Joe Scarborough, who challenged Christie to name a Democrat who had publicly celebrated the death of a Republican.

"One of the things that occurred during the [CPAC] convention was that the death of John McCain was literally the announcement that he was dead and had been dead, which everybody knew but they announced it in terms of a political thing. Received a standing ovation from parts of the crowd assembled," noted contributor Mike Barnicle. "Is that your political party?"

"I'm sure there are folks who have heard some of the things that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is saying that are mainstream Democrats who say 'no, that's not the party that I belong to,' even though that may be where the energy is right now in the Democratic Party," replied Christie. This was a step too far for host Joe Scarborough.

"I can't remember a time when a convention of Democrats stood and gave a standing ovation when the announcement of, you know, George H.W. Bush or Ronald Reagan or Barry Goldwater or Dwight Eisenhower was announced," Scarborough said. "This is a new place. This is a deeply disturbing place that this party is in."

"Listen, I think that both parties, Joe, are in disturbing times," said Christie. "I do."

"No, no no, Not both parties," Scarborough insisted. "Name me a time when Democrats at a convention have stood and cheered the death of a Republican."

"Well, I would have to think about whether they ever stood and cheered the death of a Democrat," said Christie feebly, admitting that he couldn't "think of one off the top of my head." And yet he continued to press his "both sides" argument, to the chagrin of Scarborough.

"But it's different because of Donald Trump, is it not?" said Scarborough. "Even when Republicans and Democrats didn't get along, and that has been going on a long time, you still didn't have people cheering the death of a political figure who crossed their Dear Leader."

"I do think that the president has contributed to that," Christie said, "but I think that his election in part was a reaction to that divisiveness that already existed."

Christie was presumably referring to the Tea Party movement, which staged numerous protests over the eight years of Obama's presidency, often carrying guns.

Watch the video below.