Gov. Chris Christie: 'Newt Gingrich Has Embarassed the Party'

Issuing tough words in the wake of Newt Gingrich’s dramatic South Carolina victory, Gov. Chris Christie said on Meet the Press that Mr. Gingrich has “embarrassed” the Republican Party in the past and that he doesn’t know “whether he’ll do it again in the future.”

Mr. Christie, who was himself widely courted by top Republicans to enter the GOP presidential race earlier in the primary season, told NBC reporter David Gregory that he believes “Newt Gingrich has embarrassed the [Republican] Party over time.”

Mr. Gregory then asked the New Jersey Governor to explain what he meant. Mr. Christie, who has publicly endorsed Mitt Romney for president, replied: “He [Gingrich] was run out of the Speakership by his own party. He was fined $300,000 for ethics violations. This is a guy who has had a very difficult political career at times and has been an embarrassment to the [Republican] Party.”

Mr. Christie added that he didn’t know whether Mr. Gingrich would once again “embarrass” the Republican Party but added that “sometimes past is prologue.”