Speaking Friday during Overtime, the online extension of Real Time with Bill Maher, the former New Jersey governor offered a blunt look at how Republicans talk about Donald Trump when they think no one is listening.
According to Christie, Republican officials regularly pull him aside because he says “all this stuff out loud.” He explained that these conversations often happen off camera, including backstage before television appearances.
“Look, so many of my fellow party members, especially, come up to me because I say all this stuff out loud,” Christie said. “They — in the green room at ABC, they’ll say, ‘You’re so brave. That’s so great. I totally agree with you. [Trump’s] nuts.’”
Then the cameras turn on.
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Christie said the tone changes immediately once those same Republicans step in front of an audience. “And then they go out on camera to be interviewed, and they go, ‘The greatest president since Abraham Lincoln,’” he said.
Once the interviews are over, Christie said the private admissions resume. “And then they come back in the green room, and they say to me, ‘You know, I have to do that, but like I don’t really mean it.’ That’s what they say.”
That pattern, Christie suggested, has become routine inside the Republican Party.
When Bill Maher followed up by asking whether Christie could name specific Republicans who behave this way, the former governor did not hesitate. “Bill, ‘Overtime’s’ not long enough to give you all the names,” Christie said. “But I’ll give you one. Lindsey Graham.”
The statement triggered audible reactions from the panel and audience.
Fox News Digital later reached out to Graham for comment but did not immediately hear back.
What Christie exposed was bigger than individual hypocrisy. He described a party that privately criticizes Trump while publicly praising him, motivated by fear rather than uncertainty.
Christie’s own history with Trump adds context to the moment. Although he endorsed Trump after ending his own presidential campaign in 2016, their relationship deteriorated after Trump refused to concede the 2020 election to Joe Biden. Christie later became one of Trump’s most outspoken Republican critics.
That break shaped Christie’s 2024 campaign. While facing calls from fellow Republicans to drop out of the race, he leaned into his criticism. In a campaign ad, Christie said, “Some people say I should drop out of this race. Really? I’m the only one saying Donald Trump is a liar.”
In the same ad, Christie accused Trump of dividing the country, saying Trump “pits Americans against each other.” He also referenced Trump’s Christmas message to critics, quoting it directly as, “Rot in hell.”
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
