January 10, 2024 | Posted in News
CITIES. GOOD MORNING. I’M ADAM SEXTON RIGHT NOW. CHRIS CHRISTIE IS FIGHTING A PRIMARY BATTLE ON TWO FRONTS ADVANCING HIS OWN CANDIDACY AND ALSO TRYING TO FEND OFF CALLS FOR HIM TO DROP OUT OF THE RACE AND THROW HIS SUPPORT BEHIND NIKKI HALEY IN A THEORETICAL EFFORT TO MAKE HER MORE COMPETITIVE WITH FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. THE FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR JOINS US IN STUDIO THIS MORNING. AND THANKS FOR COMING BACK IN, GOVERNOR. PLEASURE TO BE HERE, ADAM. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. SO IF WE TURN BACK THE CLOCK TO 2010, YOU’RE LIKE THE GUY WHO WILL PICK ANY FIGHT AND FIGHT ANY FIGHT. AND PROBABLY USUALLY, IN THAT CASE, WIN ANY FIGHT. BUT RIGHT NOW, GOVERNOR CHRIS SUNUNU IS DOING HIS VERSION OF GETTING UP IN YOUR GRILL. HE’S SAYING A LOT OF THINGS AND THERE’S A LOT OF WORDS IN THERE. THE ESSENCE BEING ESSENTIALLY TAKE A HIKE. UH, YOU’VE SAID WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THIS. IS IT TIME, THOUGH, TO SEE MORE OF THE JERSEY GUY COME OUT TO GET HIM TO STOP? NOW, LOOK, I’M NOT RUNNING AGAINST CHRIS. IF CHRIS WANTED TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT, HE SHOULD HAVE. AND I THINK NOW HE’S KIND OF DOING A SURROGATE RUN FOR PRESIDENT. UM, UNDERSTAND, AS WE’RE SITTING HERE SPEAKING, UM, YOU KNOW, HE’S MADE A TRIP TO IOWA HIMSELF. UM, THAT’S WHAT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DO. UM, BUT GOOD, YOU KNOW, GOOD FOR HIM. HE HAS HIS OPINION. HE’S WELCOME TO IT. BUT I DON’T THINK THE PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, UM, TAKE INSTRUCTIONS FROM ANYBODY. UM, WHETHER IT’S THE GOVERNOR OR ANYBODY ELSE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, MY VIEW ON IT IS CHRIS HAS THE RIGHT TO SAY AND DO WHATEVER HE WANTS TO DO. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT HIS HISTORY OF ENDORSEMENT SUCCESS, UM, HERE IN REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, I DON’T THINK HE’S WON ONE. UM, OVER TIME ON ANY OF THE BIG STATEWIDE RACES WHERE HE’S ENDORSED SOMEONE. SO IF HE DID, WE’D BE TALKING ABOUT SENATOR CHUCK MORSE. RIGHT? RIGHT. NOW, I SUSPECT UNITED STATES SENATOR CHUCK MORSE, AND WE’RE NOT. SO YOU KNOW, HIS HIS ENDORSEMENT WILL MEAN WHAT IT MEANS. AND HIS CALLS FOR ME TO GET OUT, UH, IF HE IF HE WANTED TO BE SO INVOLVED IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE, HE SHOULD HAVE MANNED UP AND RUN HIMSELF JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE HAD GOVERNOR BURGUM IN THIS CHAIR, AND WE TALKED ABOUT KIND OF THE ABSURDITY OF THIS. WHEN WILL YOU DROP OUT LINE OF QUESTIONING? HE GAVE A REALLY IMPASSIONED RESPONSE. AND THEN LIKE 48 HOURS LATER, HE DROPPED OUT. SO IT WAS KIND OF FUNNY. BUT POINT BEING, CAN YOU DEFINITIVELY SAY THAT BETWEEN NOW AND JANUARY 23RD, WE’RE NOT GOING TO SEE YOU, YOU KNOW, STANDING TALL, KEEPING UP THE FIGHT. AND THEN SUDDENLY ONE MORNING YOU’RE ON GMA WITH NIKKI HALEY ENDORSING HER. OH, YOU WON’T SEE THAT. NO I GUARANTEE I CAN’T. NO YOU WILL NOT SEE ME ON GMA ENDORSING NIKKI HALEY I GUARANTEE YOU THAT IN ANY OTHER CONTEXT THOUGH I MEAN NO I’M NOT STAYING IN THIS I’M NOT TRYING TO KID AROUND ABOUT THE SHOW. OF COURSE I AM. AND AND THE FACT IS THAT I’M UP HERE WORKING HARD EVERY DAY. I’VE BEEN UP HERE MORE THAN ANY OTHER CANDIDATES. BEEN HERE. UM, AND SO I DON’T THINK YOU’LL SEE ME ABANDONING NEW HAMPSHIRE ANYTIME SOON. LET’S SAY YOU FINISH WITH A STRONG SECOND OR A STRONG THIRD, EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS. WHAT IS THE PATH TO VICTORY FOR CHRIS CHRISTIE AFTER THAT? WELL, WE’LL GO AND WE’LL COMPETE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. BUT OF COURSE, THIS GOVERNOR HALEY’S HOME STATE, SO SHE SHOULD WIN THAT STATE. UM, I DON’T KNOW WHETHER SHE WILL. I SAW A NEW POLL THAT CAME OUT THIS MORNING THAT HAD HER LOSING TO DONALD TRUMP IN HER OWN HOME STATE BY 25 POINTS. UM, THAT CAN’T BE ENCOURAGING FOR HALEY’S SUPPORTERS, I SUSPECT, BECAUSE IF YOU LOSE YOUR HOME STATE, I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU EXPECT TO WIN ANY OF THE OTHER 49. UM, BUT WE’LL DO SOME COMPETITION IN SOUTH CAROLINA BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE IT’S IMPORTANT TO DO THAT. BUT REALLY, OUR NEXT FOCUS WILL BE MICHIGAN. UM, WE’LL HEAD TO MICHIGAN. THAT’S FIVE WEEKS FROM THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY. IT HAS SIMILAR RULES TO NEW HAMPSHIRE. ADAM, YOU KNOW, INDEPENDENTS CAN VOTE. UM, IT’S AN OPEN PRIMARY SYSTEM. AND WE THINK WE CAN COMPETE VERY WELL THERE. LIKE WE’LL DO HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE IN 2016. IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, YOU, PERHAPS MORE THAN ANY OTHER CANDIDATE, PLAYED A ROLE IN SORT OF WIPING OUT THE REST OF THE FIELD AND CLEARING A PATH FOR THEN CANDIDATE DONALD TRUMP TO BECOME NOMINEE AND THEN PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. THAT’S CERTAINLY NOT YOUR INTENT THIS TIME AROUND. BUT WHAT IF THAT DOES HAPPEN AGAIN? WELL, LOOK, THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHETHER DONALD TRUMP WINS THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY, THE VOTERS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, UM, IT’S NOT ANY PARTICULAR CANDIDATE. UM, AND SO WE’RE ALL COMPETING, AND I THINK ANYONE CAN SAY THAT ANYONE’S TRIED TO DO MORE TO DEFEAT DONALD TRUMP IN THIS PRIMARY SEASON THAN I HAVE. UM, AND SO I DON’T WORRY ABOUT THAT IN THE END. YOU KNOW, I SAID THIS WHEN I WAS IN HOLLIS LAST NIGHT THAT YOU KNOW, THIS GUY WANTS TO BE A DICTATOR. UH, HE ADMIRES DICTATORS LIKE PUTIN AND JI AND KIM JONG UN AROUND THE WORLD. HE SAID HIMSELF HE WANTS TO BE A DICTATOR. IF HE BECOMES PRESIDENT AGAIN. UH, AND IN THE LIVE FREE OR DIE STATE, I CAN’T IMAGINE THAT THEY’RE GOING TO SUPPORT SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BE A DICTATOR. AND IF THEY DO, YOU GUYS MAY NEED TO CHANGE YOUR SLOGAN. YOU’VE STAKED YOUR CLAIM ON MORAL CLARITY IN THIS RACE, AS YOU’VE JUST BEEN NOTING THERE, YOU’RE THE REPUBLICAN WHO WILL FULLY STAND UP TO TRUMP OTHER PEOPLE IN POLITICS HAVE BEEN DOING THEIR VERSION OF THIS BY TRYING TO LIMIT HIS BALLOT ACCESS IN CERTAIN STATES, COLORADO AND MAINE. THE SECRETARY OF STATE DID. SO. THEY’RE UNILATERALLY. IS SHE HELPING OR HURTING TRUMP’S CAUSE? WELL, I THINK IN THE SHORT TIME SHE’S HELPING IT BECAUSE IT MAKES HIM BE ABLE TO ARGUE MORE VEHEMENTLY THAT HE’S A VICTIM AND HE’S BEING VICTIMIZED BY THE SYSTEM. THIS IS, OF COURSE, RIDICULOUS, BUT HE MAKES THAT ARGUMENT AND IT APPEALS TO SOME SOME REPUBLICANS WHO ARE ANGRY ABOUT THE WAY GOVERNMENT OPERATES OR DOESN’T OPERATE IN GENERAL. BUT IN THE LONG TERME, THIS JUST ADDS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT HE HAS POTENTIALLY AS A REPUBLICAN NOMINEE. UH, AND OUR VOTERS SHOULD TAKE HEED TO THAT. HE’S GOT FOUR INDICTMENTS. HE’S GOT TO DEAL WITH. HE’S GOT A DEFAMATION TRIAL STARTING IN A WEEK IN NEW YORK CITY BY E JEAN CARROLL THAT HE’S GOING TO WIND UP LOSING. I’M CONFIDENT. UM, AND THEN HE’S GOT THESE BALLOT ACCESS ISSUES. UH, JOE BIDEN IS JUST WRINGING HIS HANDS, WAITING FOR DONALD TRUMP TO BE HIS OPPONENT. UH, IF I WERE HIS OPPONENT, I THINK IT WOULD BE HIS WORST, WORST NIGHTMARE. NIKKI HALEY HAS PROMISED TO PARDON TRUMP. AND THERE’S SOME PRECEDENT FOR THIS IN AMERICAN HISTORY. OBVIOUSLY, WITH FORD AND NIXON. BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? THAT THE IDEA THAT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR THE COUNTRY TO MOVE ON AND JUST PUT HIM IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR? I THINK WHAT’S MUCH MORE IMPORTANT IS FOR THE COUNTRY TO KNOW THAT THE LAWS APPLY TO EVERYONE, AND THE FACT IS THAT GRAND JURIES AND THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAPPENED WITH RICHARD NIXON, GRAND JURIES OF HIS PEERS IN FOUR DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS HAVE SAID THERE IS SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO SAY HE COMMITTED CRIMES THAT NEVER HAPPENED WITH RICHARD NIXON. WE I THINK WE NEED TO LET THAT PROCESS RUN THROUGH AND LET THE JURIES BE HEARD AND LET JUSTICE BE DONE. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST AN ATTEMPT BY GOVERNOR HALEY TO PANDER TO THOSE WHO SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP. UM, AND SHE KNOWS AS A GOVERNOR THAT YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS BEFORE THERE’S ANY VERDICT BY BY A JURY. AND YOU’RE CERTAINLY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS WITHOUT THE DEFENDANT HIT HIMSELF ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY. ADAM, CAN YOU IMAGINE DONALD TRUMP ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANYTHING THAT’S HAPPENED HERE? HE HASN’T TO THIS POINT. SO I THINK NIKKI IS JUST, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, DOING WHAT SHE DOES, WHICH IS TO TRY TO BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYBODY. AND THAT’S UNFORTUNATE WHEN USING THE INCREDIBLE POWER OF THE PARDON, IT’S NOW BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE THE JANUARY SIXTH ATTACK ON THE US CAPITOL. A NEW WASHINGTON POST POLL SHOWS MOST AMERICANS BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN, BUT IT ALSO FINDS THAT MORE THAN 70% OF REPUBLICANS SAY TOO MUCH IS BEING MADE OF THE ATTACK, AND THAT IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS DRIVING THAT DISCONNECT? WELL, I THINK IT’S THAT REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ALL TRY TO KEEP THEIR JERSEYS ON ALL THE TIME. THE RED OR BLUE JERSEY, THEY DON’T PUT THE COUNTRY FIRST. AND THAT’S A PROBLEM IN OUR VOTING. RIGHT NOW. WE’RE MUCH TOO PARTIZAN. WE’RE MUCH TOO DIVIDED. THE FACT IS, WE HAVE DIFFERENCES ON ISSUES, BUT WE SHOULDN’T HAVE A DIFFERENCE ABOUT PEOPLE STORMING THE CAPITOL, GRABBING SHIELDS FROM CAPITOL POLICE OFFICERS AND USING THEM TO BUST WINDOWS AT THE CAPITOL AND CLIMB THROUGH THEM. THOSE ARE NOT INNOCENT PEOPLE TAKING A TOUR. I’VE TOURED THE CAPITOL. YOU DON’T DO IT BY BREAKING THROUGH A WINDOW AND CLIMBING IN. AND SO THIS WAS A HORRIBLE DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY. IT WAS CAUSED BY DONALD TRUMP. HIS SPEECH IN FRONT OF THE WHITE HOUSE TOLD THOSE PEOPLE TO MARCH UP TO CAPITOL HILL AND TO GET MIKE PENCE TO STOP THE PEACEFUL TRANSITION OF POWER. I DON’T THINK THERE’S A WHOLE LOT OF DOUBT ABOUT WHY IT WAS CAUSED AND WHAT THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO DO, AND I THINK REPUBLICANS JUST DON’T LIKE TO BE SEE THEIR PARTY LEADER AT ONE POINT CRITICIZED AND THAT’S WHY THEY’RE SAYING WHAT THEY’RE SAYING. YOU VISITED ISRAEL AFTER THE TEN SEVEN TERRORIST ATTACK THERE. YOU SAW ONE OF THE COMMUNITIES DEVASTATED BY HAMAS AND YOU SAID, YOU’LL DEFEND TO THE HILT. YOU KNOW, ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO RESPOND TO THIS, BUT DO YOU THINK NETANYAHU MIGHT BE LOSING SIGHT OF THE OVERALL STRATEGIC GOAL THAT, YES, YOU MIGHT CRUSH HAMAS, BUT AS THE CIVILIAN CASUALTIES MOUNT, THAT YOU MIGHT, IN THE LONG TUM BE CREATING SOMETHING EVEN WORSE, LIKE WE SAW IN IRAQ WITH ISIS SUCCEEDING AL QAEDA. WELL, THE CIVILIAN CASUALTIES ARE BEING CAUSED IN MAINE IN THE MAIN, BY HAMAS, WHEN IF THEY PUT THEIR MILITARY OUT IN THE OPEN, LIKE MOST CIVILIZED SOCIETIES DO, YOU COULD HAVE A FIGHT WITH THE HAMAS MILITARY. INSTEAD, THEY HIDE IN HOSPITALS, IN SCHOOLS, IN APARTMENT HOUSES, AND ISRAEL, IF THEY WANT TO ELIMINATE THE HAMAS THREAT, WHICH THEY NEED TO DO AT HOME. BECAUSE REMEMBER, THE LEADERS OF HAMAS HAVE SAID THEY WANT ANOTHER OCTOBER 7TH AND ANOTHER AND ANOTHER. SO IF YOU’RE GOING TO DEFEND ISRAEL AND ITS PEOPLE, YOU HAVE TO ELIMINATE THAT THREAT. IT’S A DIFFICULT, UGLY WAY TO HAVE TO DO IT. NOW, I’M NOT DEFENDING PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU BECAUSE I THINK THERE’S A LOT OF PROBLEMS OVER THERE WITH HIS LEADERSHIP, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME FROM MY VISIT THERE THAT THE LEADERSHIP BROADLY ACROSS ALL THE SPECTRUM IN ISRAEL, IS UNITED BEHIND THE EFFORT AND THE WAY IT’S BEING DONE. AND I THINK AS LONG AS THAT’S THE CASE, THE UNITED STATES HAS TO BE SUPPORTIVE AS WELL. WHEN IT COMES TO AMERICAN MILITARY READINESS, DOES THE UNITED STATES NEED A SPACE FORCE? WELL, THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO IMPROVE WHAT WE’VE GOT ON THE GROUND ALREADY. I WOULD SAY BEFORE WE HAVE A SPACE FORCE, WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR NAVY. WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH SUBMARINES. WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH SHIPS. AND THAT’S GOING TO DETER CHINA, OUR MAIN ADVERSARY, MUCH MORE THAN A SPACE FORCE WILL. AND SO AS PRESIDENT, I WOULD PRIORITIZE THESE THINGS. AND MY FIRST PRIORITY WOULD BE TO IMPROVE THE UNITED STATES NAVY, TO MAKE IT BIGGER AND STRONGER AND MORE STEALTH. THAT WOULD BE THE THING THAT WOULD DETER CHINA FROM GOING AFTER TAIWAN, MUCH MORE THAN SOME SPACE FORCE IN THE FUTURE IS THE PACIFIC. THAT’S ESSENTIALLY THE FUTURE OF WHERE THE NAVY NEEDS TO BE ESSENTIALLY. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. LET’S TURN TO SPENDING QUICKLY BEFORE WE WRAP UP HERE. AND THIS CYCLE OF SORT OF THREAT OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEAL GETS MADE, CAN GETS KICKED DOWN THE ROAD. HOW DO YOU END THAT? IF YOU BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES? WELL, THE ONLY WAY TO END IT IS TO IS TO FORCE BUDGET CYCLES TO BE HAPPENING IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS. AND THE WAY TO DO THAT IS WITH THE VETO PEN. YOU KNOW, IN THE END, WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IS DO THEIR JOB AS PRESIDENT. I’D BE PREPARED TO DO MY JOB, WHICH WOULD BE TO EITHER SIGN OR VETO A BUDGET AND TO PROPOSE A BUDGET, A FULL BUDGET AS PRESIDENT AND MY BUDGET WOULD ELIMINATE ALL OF THE COVID SPENDING, GO BACK TO PRE-COVID SPENDING, AND THEN GO TO ZERO BASED BUDGETING, WHERE YOU GO AFTER EVERY DEPARTMENT AND SAY, JUSTIFY EVERY PROGRAM YOU HAVE. THAT’S THE KIND OF BUDGET I WOULD PRESENT TO THE CONGRESS AND THEN FIGHT TO GET THEM TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS. THEY DON’T WANT TO MAKE DECISIONS BECAUSE EVERY DECISION RISKS THEM BEING UNPOPULAR. AS PRESIDENT. YOU CAN’T WORRY ABOUT THAT. YOU’VE GOT FOUR YEARS TO GET A JOB DONE, AND WE NEED TO GET SPENDING UNDER CONTROL. 34 TRILLION IN DEBT. ADAM. WE’RE WE’RE SADDLING OUR GREAT GRANDCHILDREN NOW. AND THAT’S NOT RIGHT. AND IT’S NOT GOOD FOR OUR FUTURE. ALL RIGHT, GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE, WE’LL BE SEEING YOU A