In a recent segment called “Being… Chris Christie”, CNN’s Dana Bash did an interview with the former New Jersey governor to learn more about his personal life and values. The most notable part of the clip is when Christie discusses what is like to be constantly belittled for his weight in a time when so many other forms of bullying are socially unacceptable.

He gave many examples of things people have said about his weight, most often correlating it with his politics in an unnecessary and totally inaccurate way. One example he listed of things he has heard was, “How could you be a leader? You can’t push yourself away from the dinner table.” This is just one of many cruel jabs about his weight that he has endured during his political career.

Many of the comments made about Christie’s weight have been intended to be comedic, and in the past he has even participated in a bit of self-deprecating humor. For instance, he once ate a donut during an interview with David Letterman. However, what Christie explains as his biggest problem during the segment is that people will use his overweight stature to distract from the real issues, and as a way to dismiss him as a legitimate politician.

The interview, which aired Monday night on CNN, was a really poignant look from both Bash and Christie about the hypocrisy in many aspects of politics, from media to the general public to inside the White House itself. It was also an interesting look at the idea of fat-shaming in general, which has remained widely acceptable despite how progressive many younger generations tend to be about other areas of discrimination.

But lest not forget that Christie supported Donald Trump, who routinely teased people for their weight, their height, and heck, who can ever forget this moment:

WATCH:

Please tune in at 10p ET for “Being…Chris Christie.” The idea behind this series is to see the human side of people in the news. So in addition to pushing him on Trump, we also talk about his weight, being called a “fat SOB” is still very much a thing in American culture. pic.twitter.com/iVsXSMaviQ

— Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) November 15, 2021

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LeftScoop.news. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.