Christie: ‘I’m the Best Person ... To Prosecute the Case Against Hillary Clinton’

‘Our real adversary, the person that we need to defeat is Hillary Clinton’

[RUSH TRANSCRIPT]
 

KILMEADE: “And joining us now is New Jersey governor himself. Republican presidential candidate Governor Chris Christie. Governor, you probably had one of the most unique performances yesterday. Definitely unique to your personality. Bobby Jindal went directly at you and you essentially said oh, you don’t mean it, I’m going to go after Hillary Clinton, that’s my enemy. Tactically, why did you do that?”
CHRISTIE: “Listen, Brian, I’m going to keep my eye on the ball here. And that is that our real adversary, the person that we need to defeat is Hillary Clinton. And so, I was going to make sure I spent my time last night letting the American people who were watching know that I have a plan to beat her and that I’m the best person to be on that stage next September to prosecute the case against Hillary Clinton and to win back the White House for our party.”
DOOCY: “I tell you, I was looking online, and I was reading all sorts of things and a lot of people feel that you were the clear winner from the first debate that started at 7:00 Eastern time. How did you feel you did? And how did you like the way that FOX Business Network ran the debate?”
CHRISTIE: “Well, I thought that the moderators were great. I thought Trish and Sandra and Jerry did a great job. I thought they asked really good, substantive questions. I thought they did a good job of controlling the banter back and forth and i thought they did a wonderful job. So I thought it was a good format. It was a great audience. And I felt really good about how it went last night.”
HASSELBECK: “Did you feel good, governor, about the fact you really set the table in terms of directing the focus on Hillary Clinton moving into 2016. Did you feel oz though the candidates on that prime-time stage did well enough at that, keeping the focus and their eye on the ball, the ball being Hillary Clinton?”
CHRISTIE: “No, I really didn’t, Elisabeth. I think that on the main stage, what you saw again was a lot of interruptions, a lot of back and forth against each other. And the fact is, that the differences between us on that stage, while real, are much, much less significant than the differences that we have with Hillary Clinton. And I think we’ve got to get a lot smarter about how we focus our conversation going forward. You can count on this, that’s the way I’m going to focus my conversation and that’s why Hillary Clinton does not want any part of me being on that stage next September because she knows I will not take my focus off of her for one minute.”
DOOCY: “Well in addition to people watching the debate on FOX Business, there were a lot of people online, and according to Facebook, the top Facebook candidates in the early debate, you were number one. Bobby Jindal was number two, Mike Huckabee three, and Rick Santorum number four. Why do you think, and Brian touched on this, why do you think Bobby Jindal was coming at you so strongly?”
CHRISTIE: “Listen, I have no idea. You’ll have to get Governor Jindal on and ask him why he made the decisions he made. I can tell you this, I’m running for president of the United States. I want to be president of the United States. And I think the people saw on that stage last night just how badly I want to be president and how much I’m willing to fight for them. And the issues that they care about. That’s what I care about. I have no idea. You’d have to ask Governor Jindal what he was thinking.”
KILMEADE: “I’ll tell you the one thing that kind of stwruk me as I was coming in today, is that I remember a few years ago, they wanted you to run really bad, you said I’m not ready. I just became governor. What did you learn in the interim that makes you feel ready now?”
CHRISTIE: “Listen, if 4 1/2 more years of running the state of New Jersey, one of the most chaotic, difficult, energetic, diverse states in America, also, hurricane Sandy came in between that time. And one of the biggest crises that any governor has faced in our country, to bring my state through that crisis, taught me how to make difficult decisions even more than I knew before. And so, now I really understand what it’s going to be like to have to sit behind that desk and make those difficult decisions. And what the people of the country need to know about me, is that I want to do this job. I believe I’m ready to do this job. And I’m ready to take on any crisis, whether it’s around the world, or right here at home to restore middle class wages and do what needs to be done.”
HASSELBECK: “Doesn’t matter the stage, you make your mark for sure. Governor Christie, thanks for your time today and reaction to the debate.”
CHRISTIE: “Elisabeth, Steve, Brian, thank you all very much for having me on.”
KILMEADE: “Thank you, governor.” 
DOOCY: “Always a pleasure.”

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