Christie knocks Trump for using donations to help pay legal bills 

GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie took aim at former President Trump for using donations to help cover his legal bills amid numerous court battles.

“And the fact is, when you look at just his campaign filings yesterday, almost most of the money that middle-class Americans have given to him, he spent on his own legal fees,” Christie said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday. “I mean, this guy’s a billionaire.”

Christie said that instead of using his donations to pay for his legal fees, the former president should sell his Trump Tower, his plane or one of his golf courses to do so.

“But instead, he’s taking $25, $50, $100 from everyday Americans who believe they’re giving it to him to help elect him president, and he’s paying his legal fees,” Christie said.

According to new campaign finance filings, Trump’s joint fundraising committee reported raising nearly $54 million during the first half of 2023. However, the filings also show that his political committees spent about $25 million on legal fees during the same period, meaning that Trump has gone through much of what was already raised.

The Associated Press reported that Trump’s spending on legal fees was actually closer to $40 million, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Christie also knocked Trump over his ongoing legal battles, questioning why Republican voters might believe independent voters will vote for a candidate who could face prison time.

“And let’s face the fact here. Donald Trump, by the time we get to the debate in three weeks, will probably be out on bail in four different jurisdictions,” he said.

“Why do you think independent voters in a general election will vote for someone who is out on bail, and probably during the general election facing at least one probably two trials, which could subjected to prison time?” he added.