Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie expressed concern about a close member of Donald Trump’s inner circle during his final year in office. In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Christie stated, “I believe Mark Meadows is already a cooperating witness.” He noted Meadows’ behavior, such as avoiding the press by running into coffee shops, as indicative of someone cooperating with the authorities.
Meadows served as the White House chief of staff during a significant portion of Trump’s last year as president, including the period after the election, which is the focus of the federal charges of election obstruction and conspiracy. Christie, who was also part of Trump’s inner circle during that time, emphasized that Trump should be particularly worried about Meadows potentially providing information. Christie stated, “He was a very involved chief of staff, in my experience,” highlighting Meadows’ presence in meetings and conversations. Christie also mentioned the hundreds of text messages that Meadows handed over to the special counsel.
According to Christie, Meadows could potentially provide damaging testimony against Trump, ranking among the most critical witnesses aside from family members. Many observers speculate that Meadows might be cooperating with prosecutors based on his months of silence. This belief was reinforced by the indictment, which minimally mentioned Meadows despite his close involvement in White House activities between the 2020 election and the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Christie, who was one of the first prominent Republicans to endorse Trump in 2016 before running against him in the 2020 presidential nomination race, had a close relationship with the former president. Christie even contracted COVID-19 while assisting Trump in debate preparation and spent a week in the ICU. However, he has since become a vocal critic of Trump.