- Christie questioned why anyone would call Vladimir Putin a "genius" after Russia invaded Ukraine.
- Donald Trump has repeatedly praised Putin in recent days.
- Christie said someone who makes such a remark doesn't have any "understanding of the world."
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie implicitly jabbed Donald Trump on Monday, criticizing people who have praised Russian President Vladimir Putin's strategy for invading Ukraine, something the former president did both before and after Russia went to war with its neighbor.
"How can anyone with any understanding of the world call Putin's decision to invade Ukraine 'genius' and 'very savvy' as we watch him unite the rest of the world against Russia in nearly an instant?" Christie tweeted.
Trump has repeatedly praised what he views as Putin's shrewd thinking in sparking the worst war involving a major power in Europe since WWII. Christie did not mention Trump directly in his message, but it's abundantly clear that he's addressing his former political ally.
Trump told a conservative podcast host earlier this month that he admired Putin's brazen strategy.
"I went in yesterday, and there was a television screen, and I said, 'This is genius.' Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine — Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that's wonderful," Trump said when asked about Putin's justification for what Western nations have deemed as an unprovoked war. "I said, 'How smart is that?' And he's going to go in and be a peacekeeper."
The former president has also argued that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine if he was still in power, a message that often stretches the truth and ignores how Trump himself was impeached over a scheme to threaten Ukraine's defense assistance unless officials probed President Joe Biden's son Hunter.
Christie also took issue with the implication that Putin's strategy has been successful. Russia's economy and the value of its currency have tanked as the US, European Union, and other allies levy historically devastating sanctions. It also appears that Russia was not prepared for the extent of the Ukrainian resolve in the face of the attacks on their homeland.
"Putin has two choices now: an unwinnable occupation of Ukraine after leveling the country and murdering its hero President (if that is even achievable) or a humiliating retreat," Christie wrote. "Yeah, that's 'genius' and 'very savvy' alright. No walking that back. History is watching."
Trump is not alone in expressing his adulation of Putin, which was a theme on conservative media before the invasion. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is also reportedly considering a presidential run, also praised Putin before the invasion.
"I understand my enemy and will always call my enemy for what he is," Pompeo told NBC News's Vaughn Hillyard over the weekend on the sidelines of CPAC, adding that he has worked to defeat communism his entire life. "We need to make sure that we continue to crush the Russians."
Christie, who was the first prominent Republican to endorse Trump in 2016 and served as a close advisor through 2020, has teased a possible 2024 run while blasting Trump for spreading lies about the 2020 presidential election.
A spokesperson for Trump didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.