Roland Martin Calls Out Chris Christie Over Trump Criticism: ‘Own Up to the Role That You Played’ in Getting Him Elected

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and Roland Martin went head to head with each other over Donald Trump’s lasting influence over the Republican Party and America as a whole.

Christie and Martin were on ABC’s This Week for a panel conversation led by George Stephanopoulos, who noted how President Joe Biden and former President George W. Bush both commemorated 9/11 by lamenting America’s loss of unity since that event. Over the course of the conversation, Stephanopoulos noted that Christie recently gave a speech where he called on the GOP to stop embracing conspiracy theories, even though Trump continues to falsely claim the election was “rigged” and stolen from him.

“You’re on a collision course with former President Trump,” Stephanopoulos observed. Christie denied that idea, saying “I’m on a course to make sure my party remains relevant in the political conversation in this country.”

Christie referred to his record of rebuking Trump’s election claims, even though Stephanopoulos noted that those lies have taken root in the GOP. As the conversation continued to revolve around the Republican Party’s ongoing embrace of Trumpism, Sarah Isgur wondered what would happen if Christie and Trump ran against each other again in the Republican primary for the 2024 election.

Martin rejected the idea that the GOP will move in Christie’s direction, saying “they made their choice” in who they want to follow. He offered his appreciation for Christie’s speech, but he proceeded to call Christie out for supporting Trump and, as a result, helping the former president spread his lies.

You have to admit the role that you played in putting the person in leadership who is driving the conspiracy theories. It’s one thing to condemn them after the fact, but you have to own up to the role that you played in putting the person in power.

Christie shot back that he ran against Trump in 2016, but Martin continued to say “when a person has principles, morals and values, they do not support them, even if you lose.” He went on to rail against Republicans choosing party over country, and that “any Republican who stood with him has to own it and accept the role they played.”

“I’ll sleep fine tonight with you judging my morals,” Christie retorted. “We all get to make choices, Roland, in this democracy. I made my choice. I’m on record, and I’m not walking away on my choice. But it does not preclude me from being critical when the person I did support does things I’m against.”

Watch above, via ABC.