Christie: If Trump’s actions aren’t impeachable, ‘then I don’t really know what is’

Former Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said on Sunday that he believed President Trump’s actions before supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol last week amounted to an “impeachable offense.”

While appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” Christie, a former U.S. attorney who has supported Trump, said that Republicans in Congress would have to “vote their conscience” if an impeachment article is brought forward and “look at what happened.”

“What we had was an incitement to riot at the United States Capitol. We had people killed, and to me there’s not a whole lot of question here,” said Christie.

Chris Christie tells @GStephanopoulos Trump’s incitement of Capitol siege is an impeachable offense: “If inciting to insurrection isn’t, then I don’t really know what is.” https://t.co/FnD9YSf2TE pic.twitter.com/rONPP8C0x3

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) January 10, 2021

Christie added that if he were in Congress, he would vote in favor of impeachment.

“I think if inciting to insurrection isn’t [an impeachable offense], I don’t really know what it is,” he said.

“I will say to that the Democrats, by what they did earlier on Ukraine, have kind of cheapened this a little bit too,” said Christie.

In December 2019, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump for abuse of power relating to phone calls in which he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate then-presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son’s ties to the country. The GOP-majority Senate acquitted Trump at the start of 2020.

Christie also said on Sunday that Republican lawmakers have “had enough” and that Trump’s actions since the Capitol breach have only further upset them.

“I mean, it is a national disgrace … that the flag at the White House is not half-staff for that Capitol Hill Police officer who gave his life in protecting one of our institutions of democracy,” added Christie. “If we’re having to fit of pique, and that’s why we’re not putting a flag at half-staff, it’s just another example of why people think that these decisions are not being made on the merits.”