Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called former President Donald Trump a “coward” and a “puppet of Putin” for refusing to say that Ukraine should win in its war against Russia.
During a CNN town hall Wednesday night, Trump said it wasn’t wise to call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, since that would make negotiating with him more difficult. When asked about the comment Thursday morning, Christie said he strongly disagrees.
“I think he’s a coward and I think he’s a puppet of Putin,” Christie, a Republican weighing a presidential run, told radio host Hugh Hewitt. “I don’t know why, to tell you the truth, but I can’t figure it out, but there’s no other conclusion to come to.”
When asked by CNN moderator Kaitlan Collins if he wants Ukraine to win the war, Trump answered: “I don’t think in terms of winning and losing. I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people.” He added, “I want everybody to stop dying.”
That Trump wouldn’t back Ukraine “was the most stunning moment in the debate,” Christie said. “If you don’t say that you think Ukraine should win the war, I don’t know where you stand with Putin.”