During the discussion, Ruhle noted that President Donald Trump is continuing to refer to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation as a hoax. "So the president, who I know you have spoken to a number of times unofficially advising, for him to call this a treasonous hoax, what do you make of that?" she asked Christie.
The former Trump transition official said he didn't support Trump's attacks on Mueller. But he tried to brush off the attacks as Trump being Trump.
"That's fine. It’s just another day," he said as the audience groaned. "It’s just another day. And the fact of the matter is, that I don’t understand why people are surprised by any of this. I have known Donald Trump for 17 years. He is no different today than the day I met him in May of 2002. This is the way he speaks."
"So are you saying he’s a liar and a bully and that’s what you get -- you don’t get upset?" Ruhle pressed.
Christie insisted that Trump was just using hyperbole because he's a salesman at heart.
"Sir, those are lies," Ruhle interrupted.
"Well, that’s what you say, Stephanie," Christie shot back. "Listen, that’s his opinion. An opinion can’t be a lie. That’s his opinion. I happen to disagree with his opinion. I told him disagree with his opinion."
"The word hoax is not an adjective, it's a noun," Ruhle said.
Later in the discussion, Christie called former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe a "proven liar."
"How come Andy McCabe can be a proven liar and President Trump could be a great salesman?" Ruhle pointed out.
"Well, you know, that's an interesting MSNBC point. But what I tell you is —" Christie started to say, before being cut off.
"No, you know what, get out of town with that. Seriously. Seriously," Ruhle said.
Christie insisted that Trump and McCabe were held to different standards.
"Andy McCabe has been found by the independent inspector general of the Justice Department appointed by President Obama to have lied in the course of his job. The American people will decide whether they believe Donald Trump has been truthful or untruthful in the course of his job," he claimed.
