Chris Christie calls on Trump to unite, says Vance pick was not in that spirit
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called on former President Donald Trump to redirect the Republican Party in "a new direction" and to encourage party members to treat others with respect, in the wake of the assassination attempt targeting Trump, in a New York Times op-ed published Tuesday.
"Mr. Trump has the opportunity to rein in some of the worst rhetorical impulses of the Republican Party at its convention this week," Christie wrote.
Christie wrote that Trump's selection of Sen. J.D. Vance as a running mate was not in that spirit.
"Mr. Vance's first reaction to the assassination attempt against Mr. Trump was to turn directly to the current, flawed playbook: demonize the other side and lay the blame at the feet of the Democrats, as if they had pulled the trigger themselves. Clearly, this is not a message of unity in the face of what could have been a national tragedy," he wrote.
Christie, who in January suspended his campaign for president, has not endorsed Trump.
He praised Trump's remarks to the New York Post about changing his own speech and looking to foster unity.
