“This was a transition that didn't vet people for this type of judgment issues, which I think could've been seen very easily in a lot of these people," former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said. | AP Photo ‘I don’t know how you survive this one,’ Christie says of Pruitt

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speculated Sunday that Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt may not survive a brewing scandal over a Washington, D.C., living arrangement and blamed a "brutally unprofessional" presidential transition for setting the stage for this and other ethics issues.

"If Mr. Pruitt's going to go, it's because he should've never been there in the first place," Christie said on ABC's "This Week."


Pruitt spent months renting a room in a Capitol Hill condo owned partly by the wife of a top energy lobbyist for just $50 per night, according to news reports last week. Christie blamed a transition that "ill-served" President Donald Trump and didn't properly vet candidates for key positions.

Asked whether Pruitt, who has also faced questions over issues including his first-class travel, should resign or be fired, Christie replied, "I don't know how you survive this one."

"This was a brutally unprofessional transition," said Christie. "This was a transition that didn't vet people for this type of judgment issues, which I think could've been seen very easily in a lot of these people."

Ethics issues have claimed a slew of Trump administration officials. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned in September amid reports of his extensive use of government and private planes. Most recently, Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin was ousted after he was dinged by VA's inspector general for misuse of government travel.

Christie staunchly supported Trump's 2016 candidacy following his own failed bid for the GOP presidential nod. Trump later tapped the New Jersey Republican to chair his presidential transition, but he was ousted and replaced with Vice President Mike Pence shortly after the election. Trump's transition has been criticized for not properly vetting candidates, and his administration has been slow to fill a number of key slots.

"You cannot do this with, you know, Rick Dearborn and Steve Bannon on the back of an envelope in 73 days, and the president's been ill-served by this," Christie said, referring to two former close Trump advisers.

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