--- title: Chris Christie: Donald Trump Should Lay Off McConnell description: Christie said the President should be "selective" in his criticism of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan. canonical: https://time.com/4921104/chris-christie-donald-trump-mitch-mcconnell-paul-ryan-criticism/ author: Alana Abramson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-08-29T22:21:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:31:54.320Z article:section: Politics og:title: Chris Christie's Advice to President Trump: Don't Burn Bridges With the GOP og:description: "Have a policy disagreement, but don't make it personal" og:url: https://time.com/4921104/chris-christie-donald-trump-mitch-mcconnell-paul-ryan-criticism/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c9c0cb5bf083266/6988d45fcf40a81190c48677/gettyimages-664130184-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: chris-christie-defneds-beach-photos og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Chris Christie's Advice to President Trump: Don't Burn Bridges With the GOP twitter:description: "Have a policy disagreement, but don't make it personal" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c9c0cb5bf083266/6988d45fcf40a81190c48677/gettyimages-664130184-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Chris Christie's Advice to President Trump: Don't Burn Bridges With the GOP > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=13df70ac-cadc-420a-a1bb-a6c7e5998760&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=13df70ac-cadc-420a-a1bb-a6c7e5998760&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=13df70ac-cadc-420a-a1bb-a6c7e5998760&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=13df70ac-cadc-420a-a1bb-a6c7e5998760&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: 'You're Fired.' Here's Who Donald Trump Has Removed as President [Watch (HLS stream): 'You're Fired.' Here's Who Donald Trump Has Removed as President](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/eszTZXal.m3u8) (3:12)  _Published 2017-08-18. There have been several high-profile exits during Trump's early tenure. These are the key officials who have left their positions thus far._  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Aug 29, 2017 10:21 PM UTC There have been several high-profile exits during Trump's early tenure. These are the key officials who have left their positions thus far.  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Aug 29, 2017 10:21 PM UTC Governor Chris Christie warned President Donald Trump to be “selective” in his criticism of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan in order to keep a good relationship with the Republican legislative leaders. “I think you have got to be selective when you do it, because, in the end, you need to be able to work with these folks,” the New Jersey Governor [told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto](http://video.foxnews.com/v/5556656184001/?playlist%5Fid=930909826001#sp=show-clips) in a telephone interview Tuesday. “Mitch McConnell is not going anywhere. Paul Ryan is not going anywhere. And so you don’t want to burn those bridges. Have a policy disagreement, but don’t make it personal.” Christie’s comments come after several instances where Trump publicly disparaged congressional leadership, particularly McConnell, for failing to accomplish key legislative victories like repealing and replacing Obamacare. “Can you believe that Mitch McConnell, who has screamed Repeal & Replace for 7 years, couldn’t get it done. Must Repeal & Replace ObamaCare!” Trump tweeted on August 10, one of seven times he wrote about the Senate Majority Leader on his twitter feed in July and August. Trump also berated McConnell and Ryan for failing to to incorporate debt ceiling legislation into the Veteran Affairs bill. “They…didn’t do it so now we have a big deal with Dems holding them up (as usual) on Debt Ceiling approval. Could have been so easy-now a mess!” he tweeted August 24\. With the budget battle — which includes debates over raising the debt ceiling — looming as Congress returns from recess, Christie said it is especially crucial that Trump and Congress find common ground. “Anytime the government is shut down its a failure by the people in charge,” he said. “I would absolutely urge the President and members of Congress that its your job to resolve these disputes. Its your job to come and find common ground and not close down the government. Because the people won’t tolerate it.” “Everybody’s gotta give a little bit,” he continued. “That’s the nature of government today.” However, Christie, who was widely praised for the way he handled Hurricane Sandy in 2012, said the President is doing an “extraordinary job” in managing Hurricane Harvey, which has ravaged the state of Texas. ## Transcript You're fired. I'll get somebody. [ MUSIC ] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] About our cases and about the people we are investigating. WE are also very [ MUSIC ], [ NOISE ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ mmm ] [ MUSIC ] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4921104/chris-christie-donald-trump-mitch-mcconnell-paul-ryan-criticism/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4921104/chris-christie-donald-trump-mitch-mcconnell-paul-ryan-criticism/"},"headline":"Chris Christie's Advice to President Trump: Don't Burn Bridges With the GOP","datePublished":"2017-08-29T22:21:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-08T09:31:54.320Z","description":"\"Have a policy disagreement, but don't make it personal\"","url":"https://time.com/4921104/chris-christie-donald-trump-mitch-mcconnell-paul-ryan-criticism/","keywords":["Congress","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c9c0cb5bf083266/6988d45fcf40a81190c48677/gettyimages-664130184-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alana Abramson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7c9c0cb5bf083266/6988d45fcf40a81190c48677/gettyimages-664130184-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"chris-christie-defneds-beach-photos","caption":"NJ Gov. Chris Christie Speaks At Gov't And Media Conference","creditText":"Joe Raedle—Getty","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4921104/chris-christie-donald-trump-mitch-mcconnell-paul-ryan-criticism/","name":"Chris Christie's Advice to President Trump: Don't Burn Bridges With the GOP"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"'You're Fired.' Here's Who Donald Trump Has Removed as President","description":"There have been several high-profile exits during Trump's early tenure. These are the key officials who have left their positions thus far.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/eszTZXal/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-08-18T21:35:23.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/eszTZXal.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4921104/chris-christie-donald-trump-mitch-mcconnell-paul-ryan-criticism/","duration":"PT3M12S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4921104/chris-christie-donald-trump-mitch-mcconnell-paul-ryan-criticism/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```