Former Chris Christie has warned that actions by the administration of Donald Trump are eroding public trust in key American institutions, particularly the US Justice Department.

Speaking on the podcast The Fifth Column, Christie said the politicisation of the Justice Department represents the most damaging aspect of the current administration and could have long-term consequences for the credibility of the US legal system.

“What he’s done with this Justice Department is the single most destructive thing about this administration. I don’t think it’s even close,” Christie said during the discussion.

Christie, who served two terms as governor of New Jersey and previously ran for the Republican presidential nomination, argued that growing perceptions of politically motivated prosecutions could severely undermine public confidence in the rule of law.

He said the danger lies in the belief that prosecutors may make decisions based on political affiliation rather than evidence.

“Once you have put in the public’s mind that the party of a prosecutor determines how they make their decisions versus the facts, how do you fix that?” Christie said.

According to Christie, rebuilding trust in the Justice Department would be a long process that could take years of reform and political commitment.

“If you have any hope of restoring the Justice Department, it would take two terms to get that done,” he said.

Christie also suggested that the current political climate is already influencing courtroom dynamics. He noted that judges are increasingly cautious when evaluating claims made by government prosecutors.

“Judges are not accepting on face value assertions of facts by the government because of what this Justice Department has done,” he said.

The former governor also criticised the internal political dynamics within the Republican Party, arguing that many lawmakers support Trump publicly because they fear political retaliation.

“It’s not as much about Trump,” Christie said. “It’s about their fear of Trump. And their fear of Trump is not personal. It’s political.”

He said many Republican leaders worry that opposing the president could lead to primary challenges backed by Trump, potentially threatening their political careers.

Despite his strong criticism, Christie said he is not yet ready to leave the Republican Party, though he acknowledged that the party has changed significantly in recent years.

Christie once chaired Trump’s presidential transition team in 2016 but later emerged as one of the most prominent Republican critics of the president, arguing that the current political environment reflects a deeper transformation in American politics.