Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Sunday knocked Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, who suggested last week his state would not cooperate in any potential extradition of former President Trump over an indictment filed in Manhattan despite having not received such a request.
A grand jury on Thursday voted to indict Trump, who became a resident of Florida after he left the White House, on charges not-yet officially known, prompting DeSantis a few hours later to suggest the state would not assist in any extradition requests of the former president even though Trump’s legal team has maintained they planned to cooperate.
Trump is expected to be arraigned in Manhattan on Tuesday in a case involving an alleged hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Christie, who along with DeSantis is among the possible 2024 contenders who could challenge Trump in a GOP primary, said the Florida governor’s suggestion was moot because the defendant, Trump, wasn’t seeking such a protection.
“I think it’s interesting that someone says they’re going to refuse to extradite someone who’s not asking,” Christie said. “I mean, Trump and his lawyers are negotiating a voluntary surrender, which is what they should do. It’s the responsible thing to do. And Ron DeSantis comes out and says, ‘I won’t extradite him.’ Well, who the hell asked you?” Christie said.
“The governor has no role, has no role in this, particularly when the defendant doesn’t want him to have a role in it, right?” Christie said. “So, like, the defendant’s not being asked to be defended, but he’s jumping to his defense because he knows it’s a no-cost position on the substance.”
Florida law allows the governor to intervene in extradition matters if they are contested, though Trump’s lawyers have indicated that they have no plans on fighting the former president’s extradition.
Attorneys for the former president have made no suggestions that Trump would not cooperate in the matter. Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said on Sunday he expects his client’s surrender on Tuesday to be “painless and classy.”
“Hopefully this will be as painless and classy as possible for a situation like this, which I don’t even know really what brings us here, but that’s a different story,” Tacopina said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
DeSantis said following news of the Trump indictment that he would contest an extradition of Trump “given the questionable circumstances at issue.” Republicans have repeatedly lambasted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, for what they call a politically motivated investigation of Trump.
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