A former senior aide to Chris Christie is backing Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in the presidential race.
Maria Comella, who was Christie’s top communications adviser in both his governor’s office and his presidential campaign, told CNN she will vote for the Democratic ticket in November.
“Donald Trump has been a demagogue this whole time, preying on people’s anxieties with loose information and salacious rhetoric, drumming up fear and hatred of the ‘other,'” Comella told CNN. “Instead of trying anything remotely like unifying the country, we have a nominee who would rather pick fights because he views it as positive news coverage. It may make him media savvy, but it doesn’t make him qualified or ready to be president.”
Since dropping out of the presidential race, Christie has become one of Trump’s most high-profile and loyal supporters. The New Jersey governor was vetted for vice president and, should Trump win, could be chosen for a position in the administration.
The public acknowledgement from Comella, a lifelong Republican who previously worked for Rudy Giuliani, comes a day after a senior adviser to Jeb Bush, Sally Bradshaw, said she too would vote for Clinton over Trump.