Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie faulted Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for “creating” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, whom he believes is the most formidable veep pick.
Christie, one of the most ardent Trump critics within the GOP, posited that Trump’s endorsement of Shapiro’s 2022 Republican foe, Doug Mastriano, paved the way for the Keystone State Democrat’s rise.
“If [Harris] picks Shapiro on Tuesday, Donald Trump created Josh Shapiro,” Christie told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “He endorsed Mastriano, the weakest Republican candidate in that field.”
“What it allowed Josh Shapiro to do was, instead of playing to his base to try to win a narrow election, he saw an opportunity for a coalition-building election,” Christie went on. “The only reason he could do it is because Trump made another ridiculously stupid endorsement by endorsing Mastriano, who was a flawed, weak, bad candidate.”
Mastriano, a state senator, got walloped by Shapiro 56.5% to 41.7% in the 2022 midterm elections.
Democrats had pummeled Mastriano, who lost his 2018 bid for Congress on a variety of fronts, including for his questioning of the 2020 election’s legitimacy, flirtation with conspiracy theories, an April 2022 event he attended hosted by individuals who allegedly trafficked in QAnon conspiracies and more.
Throughout his campaign, Mastriano largely refrained from media interviews and had a knack for stepping into controversy. But he had been a staunch backer of Trump, which helped him win the endorsement.
Mastriano later mused about vying for Senate against Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.) but ultimately decided not to, clearing the way for Republican businessman David McCormick.
Christie contended that Shapiro, who previously served as Pennsylvania’s attorney general from 2017 to early 2023, is the smartest option for Harris.
“It should be Josh Shapiro. I don’t think this is a hard choice. He’s a very talented politician. He’s extraordinarily popular — 65% job approval in the state she needs to win. This is really important,” he said.
Pennsylvania is one of the top seven battleground states needed to win the presidency with 19 Electoral College votes.
Harris was set to meet with Shapiro, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) on Sunday, the Washington Post reported.
She is expected to stump with her veep pick on Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Democrats have hammered Trump over his selection of Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate. Trump has shrugged off those concerns, arguing “Historically, the vice president, in terms of the election, does not have any impact.”
Christie took issue with that — especially when it comes to Harris.
“I think it matters a lot,” he said. “It’s going to show whether she’s really trying to reach out to her entire party and, by extension, the entire country.”
“Secondly, I think it’s really important because she’s going to send a very clear signal about how she makes decisions,” he continued.
Christie, who has long favored governors for their executive experience, argued that she should pick a governor and someone who is perceived as “more moderate than her.”
Some progressives have quibbled about Shapiro given his support for Israel in the Hamas war, which some strategists believe could potentially harm the ticket in Michigan particularly.
That’s prompted backlash from top Jewish Democrats who believe Shapiro is getting singled out because of his faith.
“These Progressives don’t want a Jew. Let’s say it out loud. Imagine if moderate Dems said they didn’t want a certain minority,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) wrote on X last week.
“The condemnations would be deafening. Yet now we hear much silence,” Moskowitz added.