President Donald Trump's recent comments are making Republican strategist Ron Christie nervous – and he told CNBC he's probably not the only one.
On Thursday, Trump cryptically suggested that a meeting with senior military leaders was "the calm before the storm." When asked what he meant by a "storm," the president replied, "you'll find out."
"It gives our allies and adversaries pause for reflection to say, 'What is the United States about to do?'" said Christie, former special assistant to President George W. Bush.
"You have to be very measured and very calm in your tone and I just hope that my friends in the White House recognize that the president may have made a lot of people very nervous today," he told "Power Lunch."
Trump didn't elaborate or give any hint about what he could be referencing. He's currently deciding whether to decertify the Iran nuclear deal and also pushing for the denuclearization of North Korea.
Christie also was concerned about Trump's tweet last weekend that undercut Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on North Korea. Tillerson had reportedly opened up a direct channel of communication with Pyongyang. On Sunday, Trump said he should "save his energy."
When asked whether Trump grasps the fact that every word he says is going to matter, Christie said, "absolutely not."
"Every sentence, every word that the president utters is going to be measured, is going to be calculated, is going to be analyzed not just by our friends but people who seem to want to do us harm around the world," he said.
"He must recognize the importance of his words and the importance of his bearing have a lot more subliminal meaning than perhaps he realizes."
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
— CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report.