Chris Christie says Trump’s thinking is not as sharp

The former New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, who was once a close confidante of former President Donald Trump, recently spoke out about his observations on Trump’s cognitive decline. In an interview with New York Times columnist Frank Bruni, Christie expressed his concerns about the former president’s diminishing cognitive abilities.

Christie revealed that he first noticed a decline in Trump’s cognitive skills between 2016 and 2020. As someone who assisted Trump in preparing for presidential debates in both elections, Christie had a front-row seat to witness the changes firsthand. According to Christie, Trump’s ability to articulate his thoughts and make coherent points has significantly deteriorated over the years.

Despite Trump’s outward appearance of vitality, Christie emphasized that Trump’s mental acuity has been on a downward trajectory. He recalled a moment from a past debate when Trump cleverly responded to a question from Megyn Kelly with a witty remark about Rosie O’Donnell. Christie argued that the current version of Trump would not be able to come up with such a quick-witted response.

Interestingly, Trump had previously criticized President Joe Biden’s mental capacity and even challenged him to take a cognitive test. However, in a twist of fate, Trump is now facing similar questions about his own cognitive abilities, particularly after delivering speeches that have been marred by slurred speech, confusion, and off-topic ramblings.

Christie, who was a former rival of Trump during the 2016 primaries but later endorsed him, eventually turned into a vocal critic of the former president after he left office. Christie even ran against Trump in the 2024 GOP primaries, although his campaign failed to gain traction, leading to his early exit from the race.

Despite his criticisms of Trump, Christie stopped short of endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in his recent interview with the Times. He remarked that Harris still had time to convince him, but as of now, he remained undecided about his choice for the upcoming presidential election.

When asked about his voting intentions, Christie admitted that he may opt not to vote for any presidential candidate this time around, citing the overwhelming likelihood of New Jersey favoring Harris by a significant margin. With a pragmatic view of his state’s political landscape, Christie acknowledged that his vote would likely have minimal impact in the election.