Politics

Documents charges against Trump will be hard for his defense team to overcome, Chris Christie says

Key Points
  • Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie says the additional charges brought against Donald Trump indicate the former president obstructed justice.
  • The new charges brought against the former President are tied to a case concerning withholding classified documents after he was indicted on Tuesday.
  • "It's pretty brazen," Christie told CNN's "State of the Union."
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie speaks at a town hall event at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics in Manchester, New Hampshire, June 6, 2023.
Sophie Park | Reuters

New charges brought against former President and Republican nominee front-runner Donald Trump likely solidify the case against him, according to fellow Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie.

The former New Jersey governor told CNN's "State of the Union" that the latest slate of charges, which are part of a case concerning the former president's alleged effort to withhold classified documents after leaving the White House, will only strengthen an already seemingly solid case. Trump was indicted on federal charges surrounding his purported effort to discount verified votes during the 2020 presidential election.

"It's pretty brazen," Christie said. "These guys were acting like the Corleones with no experience."

The charges allege Trump willingly withheld classified documents from the federal government, as well as reportedly deleting video footage from his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida last year.

"You can't say there was no underlying potential crime here," he said. "This was the withholding of confidential classified information from the government after 18 months of asking Donald Trump to return it voluntarily.

Trump's lawyer, John Lauro, said on Sunday that former Vice President Mike Pence would likely be a key witness in the case concerning allegations of attempts to overturn the 2020 election, although Pence has yet to be formally subpoenaed.