Christie: ‘Washington, D.C. Has Shafted Us’

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CHRISTIE: “Let me be honest with the people who are watching at home. The government has lied to you and they have stolen from you. They told you that your Social Security money is in a trust fund. All that’s in that trust fund is a pile of IOUs for money they spent on something else a long time ago. And they’ve stolen from you because now they know they cannot pay these benefits, because Social Security is going to be insolvent in seven to eight years. We’re sitting up here talking about all these other things; 71 percent of federal spending today is on entitlements, and debt service. And, that’s with zero percent interest rates. Now, I’m the only person who’s put out a detailed plan on how to deal with entitlements.”
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HANNITY: “All right. That was New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at tonight’s big debate in Boulder, Colorado. And he joins us now with reaction from Boulder. And Governor, I’d say a really good night for you on a lot of different fronts. And not a good night for the media and not a good night — this is like — it was almost like the Democratic Party wrote a lot of these questions. But you guys stuck on substance. Talk about it. And you were also talking about how — we’ve been robbed and lied to. Thanks for telling us that the government robbed me blind. I really appreciate, you know, you explaining that to us tonight.”
CHRISTIE: “Sean, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s exactly what it is. We don’t deal with entitlement reform and we can’t just wish it away. And it’s not going to be wished away just by economic growth. We’ve got to do the hard things. We’ve got to treat people like adults and tell them the truth. And as far as the tone on the stage tonight, you saw ten really good candidates for president of the United States talk to the American people about exactly what they want to do for the future. But what you saw, I think in me tonight, is that I’m tested and I’m ready to maturely and just smartly deal with these issues. That’s what we tried to get out there tonight.”
HANNITY: “But governor, when you talk about they stole from us, I appreciate the fact that you’re being honest. Because I believe that that’s true. But that means that Americans — I had my first paid job paying social security when I was 12 years old. I’m 53 years old. My entire life I’ve paid into it. You’re saying that I’m not going to get that money back and Americans are not going to get the money that they paid into it? That’s how corrupt our government is? And nobody’s going to go to jail for that?”
CHRISTIE: “Washington, D.C. has shafted us, Sean. And the fact is that everybody who needs that money is going to get it. But there are going to be some of us who have done extraordinarily well in this life who will have to make some sacrifice. And we’ll have to acknowledge that we’re living longer. So, I’m going to have raise retirement age. But it’s not going to affect people who are getting benefits now, or who are about to get benefits. But, it’s going to affect my generation and yours, we’re the same age. It’s going to affect us and it’s going affect younger people, as well. But the alternative, Sean, is either Hillary Clinton’s massive tax increase and massive governing intervention even further in our lives, or to have folks who are trying to use this money to get between heat and rent and food paid for, for them not to have any money. I can’t live with that kind of America, Sean. I don’t think most Americans would either.”
HANNITY: “All right. Governor Christie, as always, thank you so much for being with us. Good night for you tonight.”