Chris Christie Scoffs at Trump Toning Down Israel Comments After Bashing Netanyahu: ‘He Will Always Put Himself’ Before Them

Chris Christie argued former President Donald Trump has betrayed the grievance-fueled political self-interest to disprove his claim that only he can protect Israel.

CNN’s Jake Tapper spoke with the former New Jersey governor on Sunday for State of the Union, and after discussing the current state of the 2024 race, they turned their attention to Trump voicing his support for more U.S. military aid to Israel. Trump wants to decouple aid for Israel from aid for Ukraine — which Christie believes is because Trump “wants to continue to coddle Putin” while the U.S. needs to stand against all of its foes.

Tapper referred to Trump’s speech on Saturday before the Republican Jewish Coalition Conference, where Trump also declared his support for Israel while blaming President Joe Biden for Hamas’ attack and anti-semitism in America. Tapper called this “cleanup” for Trump since the former president has drawn outrage recently for calling Hezbollah “smart,” ripping on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and other negative comments while Israel is at war.

Asked if this was “sufficient cleanup” from Trump, Christie said:

Look, the support that Donald Trump feels from the Republican Jewish Coalition is based upon things he did when he was president, which he does deserve credit for. Moving the embassy to Jerusalem, the Abraham Accords are all things that were good things that he accomplished.

But what he’s done, and what a second Trump presidency would look like, will be much, much different. This is a guy who said I will be your vindication. He will take vengeance against anyone who he thinks has done him wrong. And it’s clear that he thinks that Benjamin Netanyahu has done him wrong and certain elements that support Israel have done him wrong politically.

So I wouldn’t count on anything from Donald Trump except for one thing, which you can always count on. He will lie to get himself ahead, and he will always put himself first before any interest and certainly before out country, and Israel.

Watch above via CNN.