Chris Christie, the former Governor of New Jersey who is facing off against Trump for the GOP nomination in 2024, had some harsh words for the ex-prez after Trump fired off some shots of his own the day before.

In an interview with right-wing host Hugh Hewitt on Wednesday, Trump trash-talked Christie like someone who had never been friends with him. Christie, of course, led Trump’s transition in 2017, and defended him on multiple occasions. But Trump has no love for him now that they’re opponents.

“Look, he’s a slob. I call him sloppy Chris,” Trump said on Hewitt’s radio show. “He left the governorship of New Jersey with an 8% approval rating. He couldn’t run for dog catcher.”

After Hewitt suggested that Trump had skipped the first GOP primary debate because he was afraid to face Christie, who, although unpopular, is quite handy in a debate, Trump was dismissive:

“I couldn’t care less. I think he’s not a very smart person. I think he’s a very disturbed person. He and maybe Deranged Jack Smith should get together for dinner.”

The thing is, Chris Christie doesn’t need ad hominem attacks like Trump uses to be effective when firing back. Rather than simply call names, Christie pointed at Trump’s actual behavior and suggested that perhaps he’s not fit for public office.

“I think anybody who looks at what his objective actions have been over the course of his relationship with me, and what he said yesterday, they know what he was saying yesterday is just so odd and disturbing that it should make everybody question whether this guy really has the psychological capacity to be a candidate for president, let alone president again.”

Not that I want to sound like a champion of Chris Christie — you know, the guy who closed the beaches for COVID, then got photographed with his family on the then-empty sands — but he’s got a point. Trump quickly forgets his alliances to the point that he viciously attacks those who were most loyal to him the second they say anything contrary to his exact wishes.

And Christie has expressed worried about his mental fitness in the past as well:

“Concerned for his mental health.” Chris Christie hammers Donald Trump on his erratic behavior. (Video: Newsmax) pic.twitter.com/Z7PAdhg1Hj

— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) September 7, 2023

I do feel like Chris is a bit late to the game, however. We’ve all known Trump was unfit for the White House since before he was elected the first time.

WATCH (Automatically starts at 2:05):