Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who has been vocal about his criticism of President Trump, stated that Trump has benefitted from conspiracy theories related to the case of disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a discussion on ABC News “This Week,” Christie refuted claims that the conspiracy theories were mainly driven by people close to Trump.
“We can’t easily drive the president away,” Christie remarked. “He benefited directly from it. He fueled it. He encouraged it, and he certainly didn’t stop it.”
He expressed frustration over Trump seemingly receiving a pass, saying, “Oh, no, it wasn’t him. It was someone else,” referring to Trump’s responsibility.
Christie brought up FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, who were in positions to protect Americans from various threats. “He encouraged this and supported the work they were doing by putting them in those positions,” he noted.
Bongino, a former police officer and Secret Service agent, promoted conspiracy theories regarding the Capitol attacks on January 6, 2021, as well as the Epstein incident on his radio shows and podcasts before joining the Trump administration.
Looking back at the 2020 campaign, Christie said Trump ignited the Epstein narrative by insinuating—without any proof—that Democrats were connected to Epstein’s alleged crimes and responsible for his death in 2019.
However, a memo released on Monday by Trump’s Justice Department stated that there was no evidence suggesting Epstein had a “client list” featuring prominent individuals, nor was there any indication of foul play in his death, previously classified as a suicide.
This memo triggered strong backlash from Trump supporters, who had been urging the government to release Epstein-related documents.
“What Donald Trump is learning is that when you start a fire, sometimes you can’t put it out,” Christie commented. “Well, now you’ve got caught up in work and you may not want to do it,” he added, suggesting a shift in mood.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has faced significant criticism since the DOJ memo’s release, although Trump continues to support her. Christie implied this was by design.
“Let’s be clear about this. Pam Bondi, in my opinion, has no chance of making this decision herself. There is no chance. She has been instructed to not release anything like this from the White House,” Christie stated.
