“The Bricks That Pave the Road To Political Violence”: Chris Christie Says Trump’s Intolerant Language “Gives Others Permission To Act the Same”

William FurneyDec 1, 2023

Minute Read

Former president Trump’s outbursts of insulting language and attacks on his opponents is making others follow his lead and creating an intolerant United States, GOP rival Chris Christie says.

Presidential Example

Speaking on the State of the Union program on CNN, the former New Jersey governor suggested that people look up to a president and can copy their behavior.

‘Giving Permission’ to Act Badly

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Christie said: “When you show intolerance toward everyone, which is what [Trump] does, you give permission as a leader for others to have their intolerance come out. Intolerance toward anyone encourages intolerance toward everyone.”

He added: “I believe Donald Trump’s intolerant language and conduct gives others permission to act the same.”

Trump Backlash

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Trump has most recently come under fire for remarks he made about political opponents, using words that some critics said were similar to those used in Hitler’s German and other dictators.

‘Root Out Vermin’

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At a rally in New Hampshire, Trump told the crowd that if he is elected president next year, he would “root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country.”

‘Crossed into Nazi Ideology’

Robert Jones, founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, said Trump’s choice of words signaled a new departure for the former president. “What we have witnessed from Trump over the last few weeks is something new. Trump has clearly crossed into the domain of Nazi ideology,” he said on NPR.

‘Dehumanizing Political Opponents’

Jones added: “This language of rooting out vermin, the reason why authoritarian leaders use that is because it does dehumanize their political opponents. Dehumanization of political opponents are the bricks that pave the road to political violence.”

Trump’s Soaring Popularity

Christie’s latest attack on his GOP rival for the party’s 2024 presidential election nomination will almost certainly do little to dent Trump’s massive lead in the polls, political analysts say.

Trump’s Polling Advantage

The former president is polling at an average of 60.6 percent of GOP voter support, compared to a mere 2.7 percent for Christie. Trump is so far ahead of his rivals — the closest is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is at 12.6 percent — that he has used it as justification for not taking part in the primary debates.

‘Time to Drop Out’

Many people disagreed with Christie and his comments about Trump and his language. One person wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Man it’s time for you to drop out.. a Republican bashing another Republican candidate that’s likely to be the GOP nominee is counterproductive. You might as well run as a Democrat.”

‘Media Nonsense’

Another person said on X: “Never seen a candidate polling at 3-5 percent get such media coverage. Good thing Republican voters don’t believe the media nonsense.”

‘Strange World’

Someone else reacted to Christie’s comments by saying on X: “I’m pretty sure the Constitution allows that. Aren’t you tryin to be the president? Do you not love our Constitution? Freaking so strange world we live in.”

2024 Primaries

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In a separate interview, on ABC’s The Week program, Christie said he believed that Trump would not accept defeat if he lost primaries early next year, just as he still hasn’t conceded that he lost the 2020 election to Biden.

‘Will Never Concede’

Christie said: “No one will expect him to concede. He hasn’t conceded the 2020 election. Who cares? I don’t suspect he’ll ever concede he’s ever lost any election, even though he lost primaries in 2016 to Ted Cruz, and he’ll lose primaries this time as well.”

‘Rules Will Govern’

He added: “But it doesn’t matter. In the end, the rules will govern here just as the rules governed in 2020, and he moved out of the White House and Joe Biden is sleeping in the White House tonight.”

2020 Presidential Election

Trump claimed the 2020 election was “rigged” and “stolen” from him, a stance that culminated in deadly rioting at the US capitol, after he urged supporters to protest there, and an indictment he has been served for allegedly trying to overturn the results.

Other Trump Indictments

He has also been indicted for allegedly keeping classified documents at his home in Florida and for allegedly making hush money payments to cover up an alleged affair with a former adult film star. Trump has pleaded not guilty and claims the cases are a “politically motivated witch hunt” by Democrats trying to stop him from becoming president again.