Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on the vaccination push, potentially running for president in 2024, and the Biden administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
That was Isaac,
Brian good Move,
meanwhile
Steve speaking of Lee, Brice
Brian, that I cant was the new
boardwalk by the way nothing to
do with where we were. We were in
Panama City, but the Jersey walk
is a good place to be
come up in about forty five minutes. You
will see Lee Brice donate a
recording studio to a school and
then unveil a song. Thats never
been sung in public. Before that
he wrote two days prior to his
appearance
Ainsley. I cant wait to see
that
that first part aired yesterday
so awesome
he has so many hits
Steve no Kidding
Lee Brice. This hour
and Brian, we just saw the
picture of the boardwalk in New
Jersey
lets talk to the former
governor of the great state of
New Jersey where I live. Chris
Christie joins us
good morning to you, former
governor
good morning. How are you,
Brian? You are not going to tell
us to get off the beach. Are
you
no no
get on the beach?
Its almost memorial day lets
go,
get on the beach
get rid of your masks and lets
go
Steve. Indeed,
we are going to talk about your
mask initiative and vaccination
in a bit,
but what do you make of whats
going on with the Biden
administration?
You know day one he canceled
the Keystone pipeline
now, Governor Whitmer up in
Michigan is talking about
threatening the Enbridge
pipeline, but at the same time
the State Department has given
the green light for that
pipeline. That has had
sanctionable activities between
Germany and Russia.
They said they wouldnt do it
now they have done a one, zero
whats going on
listen. This is typical, as I
have been saying right from the
first couple of weeks of this
administration.
They stone themselves unable to
tell the truth to the american
people and consistent with the
things they campaigned on.
Let me understand: thvment no
Keystone pipeline for the
american people, but pipelines
Aplentiy for Vladimir Putin.
I dont get it
if he is so concerned about
climate change and have to get
away from fossil fuels.
Why is he green lighting, fossil
fuels for Europe and Russia, but
not for the United States?
It makes no sense at all
and again its the hypocrisy
of his administration.
They want to punish America,
hurt America
downgrade America,
but you know overseas. They
play Footsy with IRAN
and they play, and now they are
giving pipelines to Putin
Ainsley it doesnt make sense.
I thought he did this for
environmental reasons. Yet its
okay for other countries,
right
Ainsley, CDC, insisting school
masks are rest of the school
year.
A child in Florida upset about
this, and he talked to the school
board in Martin County
watch. This
I think we have it.
It seems unfair teachers take
their masks off while they are
yelling, while they yell at US
kids, and that we need to pull
ours up.
I asked my mom. If there is a
word for this, and she said
there is hypocrisy.
A few weeks ago I ran into my
teacher outside of school. She
didnt even recognize me
because she has never seen my
face before
all this seems unfair and it
doesnt make sense.
I miss seeing peoples face.
I miss the way things used to
be. I am scared. They will never
go back to normal.
Really accident seem like
something we should have to ask
any other people for permission.
Ainsley and he and his parents
were on with Brian at the first
hour, I believe of our show,
and they are saying, Mask
optional. Please
watch this
its almost like wait, whos
this and whos that
its like, I dont, recognize
anyone.
Do we even know any other
people
its like were just
dehumanizing
its like you really have that
much power.
There has been no end in
sight.
They dont they dont explain
themselves.
They dont give their
justification for continuing
with the mask mandate,
trying to get back to normal
here in the state of Florida
and thats happening everywhere
other than our schools.
Why are we still punishing the
children
Brian Governor, its
inexcusable?
Well, listen! What we know
Brian about the Biden
Administration and what they are
doing is Joe Biden promised he
would have all our kids back in
school in classroom within its
first one hundred days.
Promise made promise broken.
Why?
Because Joe Biden and his
administration is in bed with
the teachers Union
and the teachers Union
leadership,
all he cares about one thing:
the comfort of adults,
not the care of children,
and when you look at all the
science- and they said all during
the campaign, you remember it-
follow the science.
Well follow the science.
They are not following the
science on this,
because all the evidence tells
us that school is the safest
place for kids to be
and for adults
and that its been a place where
its been spread, the least
during the Covid 19 crisis.
So this is ridiculous and
again to the teachers union
its happening all over the
country.
What its going to do is have
long term damage to our kids,
both psychologically and in
terms of their education.
Outraged parents, no matter what
party you are, should be
standing up and fighting against
this
Brian governor. Is this one of
these issues that breaks through
the party politics that people
at home see their kids
suffering, see the angst see
what they didnt learn during
the year and know what party is
responsible?
Is this a break through issue?
I think it can be Brian.
I will tell you, I think its
incumbent upon Republicans to be
talking about this issue. Much
more than we are,
we shouldnt be doing rear view,
mirror issues
we should be doing through the
windshield issues
talking about what the effect on
our kids is going to be for the
future and how we change these
policies and oppose the Biden
policies
thats. What we should be
spending our time talking about
and a lot of Republicans just
arent doing that and were
missing out on a great political
opportunity, but much more
importantly, were missing out
on opportunity to restore our
childrens educational progress.
Steve governor, I remember when
you were governor in New Jersey
and I covered you when you did
one of your town halls in
Lincoln Park in northern new
jersey-
and I remember you got into it
with a member of the teachers
Union, as you did many of those
town halls back then,
when you fast forward to Now-
and we hear the CDC say you
Know- are just following the
science- we are not doing
anything political. Despite the
fact that the mask mandate
dropped last week, looked
political and then, when you
hear you know, according to the
Freedom of Information ACT, we
now know that the exact
language the teachers Union
sent to the CDC wound up in the
final guidance it looks like
this administration is paying a
lot of attention to their
stockholder. The teachers union,
but it is political,
well look watch what they
say and they do in this
circumstance.
Dr Jill Biden said that, as long
as Joe is president, the teacher
union leadership will always
have a seat at the table.
Randi Weingarten and the
American Federation of teachers
say we are thought partners with
the CDC.
Well, what the hell does Randi
Weingarten know about CDC
medical information that gives
her the right to be a thought
partner with public health
experts
and then to change their opinion
and change their language to
make it more convenient for her
as a multimillion dollars union
leader
im. Sorry, it just doesnt make
any sense,
and what it is is politics.
They are playing politics with
our schools,
which is bad,
but worse is the effect its
having on our children
and those effects we will be
seeing for years
and why arent we standing up
production need to be standing
up even louder and stronger than
we are.
This is an issue that effects
all Americans
regardless of party.
This is one of those things
where Republicans show we stand
up for our kids on this issue
and not for the comfort of
adults.
Ainsley, they say, follow the
science, but when the scientists
tell us, we can take our masks
off and you have Nancy Pelosi
still in chambers wearing her
mask and telling everyone they
are going to get fined if they
take them off, even if they have
been vaccinated its hard to
trust the government, because we
did what they told us to do
Steve, maybe Bill Nye. The
science guy calls her
Ainsley. If Dr Fauci tells her,
maybe she will listen
well, Steve. You know and
Ainsley that we have a governor
here in New Jersey who is a
former Goldman Sachs salesman
who thinks he knows more about
medicine than the CDC
New Jersey is only one of four
states left in the nation that
still has a mask mandate for
people who have vaccinated.
He says he needs a few more
weeks to look at it.
Who is he?
He is not a medical expert,
and yet he continues to want
to keep tight control over the
people of New Jersey,
Brian. Why
Ainsley New Jersey and Hawaii
only two states doing this
Brian governor. The idiotic
illustration he gave shows how
out of touchy is
he says if you walk into a
hardware store,
we dont know if you are
vaccinated or not
its up to you, you get the
vaccination. You dont,
we all can get the vaccination
thats whats great about what
has hand since operation warp,
speed and the implementation of
this.
We can get it. So we are making
our own choice there.
You are as safe as you want to
be
thats. Your message too right
go ahead and get a vaccination
absolutely look.
I have had the vaccination,
I felt fine and did well with it
afterwards.
I know that the science shows us
that youre ninety to ninety five percent protected
not only from getting it but
from spreading it to other
people,
and so this vaccination was
tested four times more than the
normal prescription, drugs
approved by the FDA and it
works
and it is safe.
But do you know what
the bottom line is? I trust the
american people
they dont want to get each
other sick
and they are not going to do
that.
They are going to be smart about
doing it, so they are going to
follow the rules that are laid
out there if they make sense
by the way. If you cant take
your masks off once you are
double vaccinated inside then,
what incentive are they giving
people who havent been
vaccinated to get vaccinated
thats? What people like Governor
Murphy are policing and others
across this country who are not
giving people the appropriate
incentives to be able to take
the vaccination
Steve thats? Why you are
involved in this partnership
called vaccination, and nobody
knows more about code than you
do, because you had covid and you
were real sick.
But in the video that you did,
you talk a little bit about how
there is some vaccine hesitancy
because people go. Oh, it came
out so fast. It cant possibly be
safe.
But, as you point out in the
video, the reason it came out so
fast is because they were able
to cut the Red tape
yep,
because President Trump and the
Trump Administration said were
going to do. Two things that are
not normally done
were developing a new drug
one were going to fund. It
were going to prefund it
because we want it to move
faster
and two were going to cut all
the normal red tape out of it.
None of the science, but all of
the governmental red tape that
slows things down,
thats. Why? President Trump was
able to accomplish what he did
by getting these vaccines ready
by the middle of November
record time and starting to get
people vaccinated by the end of
November of last year.
Thats why we are in a position
we are in,
so what the public need to
understand is look. There is
nothing perfect,
but a vaccine is like putting
your seat belt on when you get
in the car.
It wont guarantee you. If you
get in an accident, you wont be
injured or killed, but it makes
it much much less likely.
That is what we want to be be
doing for people across the
country. So we can get rid of
these manipulating politicians
who want to control our lives
and get back to controlling our
own lives.
Ainsley thats a great example
pause. It does decrease death,
both situations, the seat belt
and the vaccine. So you are the
governor of New Jersey and
there is talk that you might be
running for president. In a few
years,
have you made a decision?
I havent made a decision
Ainsley,
but im certainly not going to
preclude it. We are going to
continue to speak out like we
are doing this morning and all
over the country about the
issues that I care deeply about,
because I want to provide a
voice for the Republican Party.
That is forward looking
that is opposing these radical
liberal policies of the Biden,
administration
and laying out a counter
alternative for us to consider
and thats what we should be
doing
and look. There is going to be
plenty of time after the
midterms in twenty twenty two to decide
whether or not you run for
president or not.
I will tell you this. The most
important thing for us to do is
to take back the house and the
Senate in twenty twenty two, so that we stop
this Biden Harris Liberal March
in its tracks
and Republicans have to start
talking boldly and correctly now
about that
not waiting
Brian right.
They are trying to federalize
elections and fatten the Supreme
Court.
What could be wrong with that
real quick today? There is a big
story: Governor the New Yorks
Attorney Generals Office said
they will be conducting now a
criminal investigation into
former president trumps
business empire. No longer
civil.
You got a great legal mind.
Is the president former
president in trouble?
Listen, you never like to
hear the words under criminal
investigation
if its about you
its, never good
its, never positive,
but were innocent until proven
guilty in this country.
Everyone has constitutional
rights,
whether you are a citizen living
here in the state of New Jersey
or whether you are a former
president of the United States,
and so I ask people not to jump
to any conclusions.
Let the prosecutors and the
investigator do their work
and come to conclusions, and
then we can come to judgment.
Then
no, you never like to hear those
words Brian, but lets
remember that we have the
presumption of innocence in this
country. Despite the way things
are covered sometimes
so lets take a deep breath.
Let people do their work
Brian. By the way, the president
would not be investigated if he
wasnt president,
if he was businessman Donald
Trump, this probe doesnt
happen,
which is flat out wrong,
listen any time that people
are investigated for their
status rather than for their
conduct its wrong.
But in the end now we have a
right as the american people to
see evidence.
You know we have said all
along. I have said this before
with the Russia probe turns out
not to be the evidence that you
would need anywhere near it to
prove that there was any
collusion between the Trump
campaign and the Russians
thats. Ultimately, what Bob
Mueller concluded right
in the same way that we looked
at the elections, we need to see
evidence about whether or not
there was fraud in the
elections,
and now we need to see whether
there is any evidence regarding
these investigations that are
being made in New York.
You know: listen, I did
prosecutions for seven years
in the end, the facts are the
facts,
and the american people are
smart.
They will judge the facts that
are presented before them and
they will come to their own
conclusion.
We need to see the facts.
Every American has a right for
the truth,
Steve Mr Christie, when you
were governor, the governor of
New Jersey works very closely
with the governor of New York,
with the port authority of New
York and New Jersey, running the
bridges and tunnels and airports,
and things like that.
There is a story out this
morning that Rudy Giulianis son,
Andrew Thirty, some odd year old
young man who had worked in the
Trump White House, is now
considering running for governor
in the wake of everything thats
going on with Andrew Cuomo.
Put on your political hat for a
moment, and what does that look
like to you?
Well look. I know Andrew
Giuliani very well,
and I have known him for a long
time.
Is he a very bright aggressive,
ambitious young man who wants to
contribute to public service and
did so during his time of
service in the White House,
he has every right to be able to
run for governor.
The primary will be tough for
everybody involved.
Congressman Lee Zeldin has also
said he is running
and Lee will be a formidable
candidate in the primary as
well.
So, if Andrew gets into this,
if thats what he decides to do,
is he a smart young man?
He will contribute to the
debate.
We will see how he does against
congressman Zeldin and anybody
else who is running
in a state like New York, thats,
so blue. I think its really
good news for the Republican
Party that eighteen months out from
the election, that they have
people who are willing to step
forward and fight the fight to
try to get the governorship,
and so I wish Andrew all the
luck in the world.
He is a good young man and a
friend,
but that primary will be tough,
because Lee Zeldin is also a
friend and somebody who will be
very formidable if they wind up
squaring off with each other in
the primary
Brian. How does Andrew Cuomo
still have a job?
The people of New York have
elected Governor Cuomo until the
election of twenty twenty two.
We will see how all this plays
out over the course of time
and again, as I said about
these other things, people have
a right to the truth,
and so this investigation is
going on. There
lets hear what the truth is
there as well
and lets let people make their
judgments.
I will tell you Brian that, as
somebody who was victimized by
the Obama Justice Department,
when people jumped to
conclusions in the media and the
Obama Justice Department was
weaponized for political
purposes against me, I will tell
you im always reluctant to jump
to conclusions on things because
it was done to people around me
and the United States Supreme
Court ruled last year, 9 0, that
it was the politicization of the
Justice Department and the
justice process,
its never good and im not
going to participate in that
kind of stuff, regardless of
Party
Brian Right,
nine accusers. You have the
ethics violation as well as the
nursing home investigation,
a lot different than yours,
Ainsley. They goal after Trump
in this state. But the Democrats,
it seems they get a pass
governor thanks. So much for
being on with us
its great to be on with you.
Transcript generated on 2021-08-09.