Chris Christie Accuses Trump of Using Justice Department Like a Mob Boss: ‘Executes Hits’ on Political Enemies

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) accused President Donald Trump of using the Justice Department like a mafia crime boss would — to execute “hits” against his political enemies.

Christie made the provocative allegation against Trump during a roundtable discussion led by George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s This Week on Sunday. The indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) for mortgage fraud last week, Christie argued, only happened because Trump’s Justice Department is crooked and following his orders to target his rivals.

“We know why this was done: it was done because Donald Trump told the Justice Department to prosecute Letitia James. And when the professionals there wouldn’t do it, he put somebody in who would just follow his instruction — whose previous jobs was reviewing exhibits at the Smithsonian.”

He continued: “Here’s the difference between Trump II and Trump I… this is no longer, the Department of Justice, is no longer the premier prosecuting office in America. What it is now is a capo regime who goes out and executes hits when directed by the Don to do so. That’s what it is.”

The ex-governor was taking a swipe at Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, who presented evidence against James to a grand jury. James, in 2022, spearheaded the civil fraud case against Trump.

Halligan, who was appointed to her post last month after her predecessor stepped down after refusing to prosecute James, recently secured an indictment against another longtime foe of President Donald Trump, former FBI Director James Comey.

Christie has been a rival of Trump’s for years, despite having been close friends and endorsing him for the Republican nomination in 2016 after dropping out. He was not the only one on ABC’s set who could be pegged as a Trump, rival, either.

Stephanopoulos, of course, was the reason ABC paid Trump $15 million late last year to settle a lawsuit, after Stephanopoulos said on air several times that Trump was found “liable for rape” in the civil case E. Jean Carroll brought against him. Trump was found liable for sexual abuse, rather, which carries a different definition in New York.

Donna Brazile, the former Chair of the Democratic National Committee, was also part of the roundtable discussion on Sunday. She said Trump’s “season of retribution is in full throttle” and that Attorney General Pam Bondi “should have resigned” following the indictment of James.

You can watch the clip above via ABC.