Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images
- Chris Christie on Sunday slammed Ronna McDaniel over the party’s decision to censure Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.
- The former New Jersey governor said the decision was made by a small group of Trump loyalists.
- On ABC’s “This Week,” he argued that the GOP would be better served by focusing on President Biden.
Former Gov. Christie Christie on Sunday blasted Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, accusing her of “carrying water” for former President Donald Trump with the censure of Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger over their membership on the January 6 select committee.
During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” the New Jersey Republican told host Martha Raddatz that the official resolution that admonished the two Republican lawmakers and characterized January 6 as “legitimate political discourse” was a consequence of Trump loyalists exerting their influence within the party.
“This is just a majority of 168 people,” he said. “And the RNC, most of those folks, were put into place over the course of the four years by Donald Trump. And so, it’s certainly Ronna Romney McDaniel is carrying water for Donald Trump in this regard.”
He emphasized: “So, let’s not make it bigger than it is.”
Trump, who was impeached in the House for “incitement of insurrection” for his role on January 6, has been a fierce opponent of the panel, branding it as a partisan body that has sought to undermine him.
In an official resolution, the RNC emphasized last week that the January 6 probe is “destructive to the institution of the US House of Representatives, the Republican Party, and our republic” and accused Cheney and Kinzinger of participating in a “Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.”
McDaniel last Friday stated that she has adamantly rejected the violence that occurred on January 6, 2021, but the resolution did not mention the riot was led by supporters of Trump.
Christie also criticized the resolution as a bad move for party messaging, as it took away attention from President Joe Biden and didn’t speak for Republicans who want to look toward the 2022 midterms and the 2024 presidential election.
“They say that part of the reason for the resolution is they want to keep the focus on Joe Biden and the failures of the Democratic administration. Well, how did that work for you?” he said.
He added: “All anybody is talking about this weekend is this resolution rather than talking about the failures of the Biden administration.”
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