Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie attacked former President Donald Trump on CNN as a "coward" for attacking his GOP rivals on social media when he's unwilling to show up at the presidential debates to defend his record in person.
Trump, who is currently leading his rivals by over 40 points in the polling averages, skipped the first presidential debate in Milwaukee, and he is scheduled to skip the second as well to hold a small rally with auto workers striking in Detroit.
"I want to get to some of the political issues coming up right now," said anchor Wolf Blitzer. "As you probably know, Donald Trump, he posted a series of social media attacks going after you. Attacks against you last night. He called you, and I'm reading now, a 'grifter,' he attacked your record as Governor of New Jersey, and he attacked your campaign. He clearly sees you as a potential significant rival."
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"You know, he said himself, Wolf, a few weeks ago, I only attack Number Two," said Christie. "Well, he has stopped attacking Ron DeSantis. And he's started attacking me ... we are going to take on Donald Trump directly. And he doesn't like it when he's taken on directly, and he's confronted. I'm the only one on that stage who is unwilling to raise my hand, besides Asa Hutchinson, and say I wouldn't support a convicted felon for President of the United States. He doesn't like when people stand up to him and call him out on the nonsense he's involved in, and I guess he had a bad night last night. Maybe he had bad Chinese food or something, a little indigestion, decided to attack me. Keep it coming, Donald. And by the way, if he had any guts, he would get on the debate stage. If he's got things to say about me, stop hiding behind your social media site, your failed social media site, Donald, and start taking me on directly. Show up. Stop being a coward."
"The Wall Street Journal editorial today said this about Donald Trump's refusing to go to the second debate next week," said Blitzer. "The headline there, 'Why Is Donald Trump Afraid to Debate?' And then the Wall Street Journal editorial page wrote this: 'He’s ducking exchanges with his competitors who could challenge his record and platform.'"
"If I had his record, I wouldn't want to debate either," replied Christie. "He said he was going to build a big beautiful wall across the entire border of Mexico, he built 52 miles of new wall in four years, and said Mexico was going to pay for it. They never did. He said he was going to repeal and replace Obamacare. Had a Republican Congress, he couldn't get it done. That's not a record to be proud of. And what he also led to was Joe Biden becoming the President of the United States. Lots of Republicans like me object to that as well, and we want to win the White House back. He's afraid to get on the stage, lastly, because he doesn't want to face me. I prepared him for the debates in 2016, in 2020, he knows what that's like. He doesn't want the American people to see it. I do."
Watch the video below or at the link.
Chris Christie dares "coward" Trump to debatewww.youtube.com
