(Patriot.Buzz) – Signaling an increasingly confrontational tone against the likely Republican nominee in next year’s election, former New Jersey Governor and GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie firmly stated he would not grant a presidential pardon to former President Donald Trump if he were to win the 2024 election and if Trump were convicted of a crime.
In a candid interview on “The View,” Christie’s unequivocal response, “No, no, no, no,” came swiftly when co-host Joy Behar asked about his stance on pardoning Trump, highlighting a contrast with fellow Republican presidential hopefuls Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis who indicated they would consider such a pardon.
Drawing from his tenure as governor, where he issued pardons, Christie stressed the importance of the convicted individual’s acknowledgment of their wrongdoing. He questioned the likelihood of Trump ever taking responsibility for his actions, implying that such a scenario would be unlikely. “It’d be really the easiest pardon decision I would ever have to make as president,” he asserted. “You don’t accept responsibility? Too bad. Go to jail.”
Trump, who is currently at the forefront of the GOP presidential field for 2024, is facing four criminal indictments for a total of 91 charges. These charges include two cases brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office: one related to Trump’s alleged attempts to remain in power after the 2020 presidential defeat and another about supposedly retaining sensitive government documents and defying a subpoena for classified records.
Christie has previously expressed skepticism about issuing a pardon in the government documents case, reiterating his stance in July during an interview with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo. He emphasized that if the allegations in the indictment were proven and Trump received a fair trial resulting in a guilty verdict, he would find it challenging to consider a pardon.
His remarks on “The View” follow his critique of other candidates in the race, whom he accused of not being truthful about Trump. Christie’s clear position sets a distinct tone in the Republican field regarding the potential legal future of the former president.
