New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday that Donald Trump could have done a better job apologizing to voters for the lewd comments he made about women in a 2005 audio tape released last week.
Christie, who was the first of Trump’s primary opponents to endorse him, said in a radio interview in New Jersey that the comments made by the Republican presidential nominee in a recorded conversation with “Access Hollywood’s” Billy Bush were “completely indefensible” and warranted a sincere apology.
Trump issued a video statement late Friday night claiming that “anyone who knows me knows these words don’t reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong and I apologize.” He criticized Bill Clinton simultaneously, saying the former president has “actually abused women, and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed and intimidated his victims.”
Christie said he urged Trump to “be contrite and apologetic” as soon as the tapes were released. Asked if the billionaire’s taped apology was enough, the New Jersey governor admitted that it wasn’t.
“I didn’t think it was, on Friday or Saturday, and I told him that,” Christie said. “I would have done it much differently, but I do think he’s sorry and I do think he is embarrassed by it.”
Christie said Trump “should have been much more direct and much more focused on just saying I’m sorry and I’m only sorry” in his initial apology and during Sunday’s presidential debate.
Instead, Trump held an impromptu press conference ahead of the second debate with three of Bill Clinton’s accusers and recycled his defense that he and Bush had simply engaged in “locker room talk.” Trump did, however, apologize for a second time during the debate.
“I’m still supporting Donald,” Christie said Tuesday. “Obviously I was disappointed by what happened and, you know, disappointed in some respects by the response initially, but I’m still supporting him.”
