Credit where it’s due: For all his faults, Chris Christie is still a powerful communicator. This prosecutor’s-closing-argument riff on Jared and Ivanka (whom he noticeably calls “Ivanka Kushner,” reflecting a number of things including Christie’s history with the Kushners going back to his prosecution of Jared’s dad) is strong stuff:
Christie hits Jared and Ivanka: “the grift from this family is breathtaking” pic.twitter.com/LkOriXZgN2
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) June 7, 2023
I know this is just an excerpt, but if I was advising Christie or really anybody else in the Republican field who wants to go down this road, I’d have him weave back and forth between this stuff (and there’s a lot of it, including Trump’s lucrative relationship with Saudi-backed LIV Golf) and the millions flowing from shady Chinese, Ukrainian, and other foreign sources through shell accounts to the Biden family. That would serve two purposes: First, it hits the populist note of widespread public suspicion that our political class treats public service like a piggy bank; and second, it shows Republican primary voters that you’re not just in this for the friendly fire, you’re making an argument that can carry into the general election.