Christie doesn't think Trump will fire Mueller but 'you never know'

"This is a president who follows his gut," Christie told "Powerhouse Politics."

April 11, 2018, 6:16 PM

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie firmly believes that President Donald Trump won't fire special counsel Robert Mueller, but he admitted on the "Powerhouse Politics" podcast that the president is unpredictable.

“I just don’t think he will fire Bob Mueller. I don’t, but you never know because this is a president who follows his gut and he makes decisions that at times that others think are contrary to his best interests,” Christie, who is an ABC News contributor, said.

PHOTO: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at the Republican Debate from St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., Feb. 6, 2016.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at the Republican Debate from St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., Feb. 6, 2016.

According to Christie, the court of public opinion is an arena the president wants to influence.

“This is a president trying to move public opinion in his direction on this [Mueller investigation], and getting it out of his system because he is very frustrated by this and there’s very little he can do about it,” Christie said.

Another thorn in Trump's side has been former FBI Director James Comey, who is gearing up to sit down with ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos for an exclusive interview on Sunday.

Christie expressed doubts about Comey's credibility.

"I think he really made some enormous mistakes in the course of his Hillary Clinton investigation, and I think he has not been willing to admit those mistakes. And his unwillingness to admit those mistakes makes him less credible," he said.

The former FBI director has been vocal on Twitter since his firing last year, but Christie thinks Comey should stay off social media.

"Comey’s wrong to tweet. His biggest weakness is his need for attention," Christie said.

On the topic of Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s surprising announcement to not seek re-election, Christie said this is a bad omen for Republicans.

PHOTO: House Speaker Paul Ryan announces he will not seek re-election for another term in Congress, during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, April 11, 2018 in Washington, D.C.
House Speaker Paul Ryan announces he will not seek re-election for another term in Congress, during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol, April 11, 2018 in Washington, D.C.

“I think it’s another indicator that he wasn’t very optimistic that they [Republicans] were going to keep their majority. If you are a betting person, you’re betting on the Democrats for the House in the fall.”

So far, at least 43 House Republicans, even Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., who serves in Christie’s district, have announced that they will not return to Congress because of retirement or resignation.

Related Topics