Former President Donald Trump got triggered by questions about his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner during preparation for the 2020 election debates, ABC’s Jonathan Karl writes in his new book.
Trump reportedly lashed out and said he wasn’t “going to sit here and put up with this shit” when former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who was playing now-President Joe Biden in a mock debate, grilled him on the fortune the couple had made from outside income during their time working as advisers for the Trump administration.
“You have real nerve talking about relatives taking advantage of political power,” Christie told Trump, according to an excerpt from Karl’s “Betrayal: The Final Act Of The Trump Show” published by Insider.
Christie used the line of questioning after Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani encouraged him to focus during the debate on the business dealings of Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, per the book.
“You’ve invited your daughter and son-in-law into the White House and they made $36 million last year while they were doing the people’s business,” Christie reportedly continued. “Your family traded the influence they have in the White House to make tens of millions of dollars.”
Trump fired back that it was “absolutely untrue.”
“We’ve lost money here,” Trump claimed, according to the book. “We’ve lost money here. My children are losing money being here. Jared has sacrificed more than anyone being away from his business. He hasn’t made any kind of money.”
After Christie pressed further, Trump reportedly erupted and said he wasn’t “going to sit here and put up with this shit.”
Christie attempted to use the moment as a teaching point for the then-president.
“If you go too deeply into the Hunter Biden stuff, this is the kind of stuff he will hit you back on. You’ve got to be ready for that. My job is to get you ready,” he said.
“I don’t want to hear any more,” Trump replied. “I know what they’re going to say. Enough. Let’s move on.”