- Donald Trump called FBI Director Christopher Wray "the worst member of my administration."
- Chris Christie writes in his memoir that Trump blew up at Christie for recommending Wray for the role.
- "He's doing an awful job, and he's your pick. He was your pick," Trump told Christie of Wray.
Former President Donald Trump told Chris Christie that FBI Director Christopher Wray was the " worst member " of his administration and blamed Christie for recommending Wray for the role, the former New Jersey governor wrote in his forthcoming memoir.
Christie writes that Trump randomly brought up Wray's job performance while Christie was at the White House helping the president prepare for his first debate with Joe Biden in September 2020.
"Do you want to know who the worst member of my administration is?" Trump asked Christie, according to the book, "Republican Rescue." "Your guy. Your guy Chris Wray. He's the worst."
Christie writes that he urged Trump to hire Wray, a former federal prosecutor, after the president fired former FBI Director James Comey in the spring of 2017. Wray served as Christie's personal attorney during the Bridgegate scandal, which involved the prosecution of Christie's top aides for retaliating against a Democratic mayor by closing lanes on the George Washington bridge. Wray, then in private practice at King & Spalding LLP, charged New Jersey taxpayers $2.1 million for his representation of the governor.
Christie writes that he'd known Wray since he was a United States attorney in New Jersey and that he'd "always been impressed by his intelligence, professionalism, and his work ethic."
The former governor says he defended Wray from Trump's attacks.
"He's really not, Mr. President," Christie says he told Trump. "In fact, he's done a great job with the FBI. He's reshaping it, reclaiming it. He's fired all the people who were executive types in the Comey administration. Chris Wray is doing a great job for you."
But that only enraged Trump further.
"No, he's not," Trump replied, according to Christie. "He's doing an awful job, and he's your pick. He was your pick."
After Christie again pushed back, insisting Wray was Trump's pick and was "one of the best picks you've made in this entire four years," Trump blew up, yelled "bullshit," and abruptly ended the debate prep session.
Trump and his top aides had private conversations about firing Wray after the 2020 election over his failure to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter, multiple outlets reported prior to Election Day.
A spokesperson for Trump didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.