Christie: My Hugging Obama in 2012 Didn’t Cost Gov. Romney the Election

GEIST: “I understand as someone from New Jersey, governor, why you accepted President Obama in 2012 to come down to the shore in the wake of the storm and why you accepted his help, of course you did. But there are people of people in the Romney campaign were not happy, there’re people still in the Republican Party who’re not happy that you embraced President Obama in that moment (Laughter) and they think somehow cost Governor Romney the election, Republicans, the White House. What do you say that that criticism still to this day.”
CHRISTIE: “Listen, first of all, it didn’t cost Governor Romney the election. And the only person you need to ask is, ask Governor Romney. He said it over and over again, publicly. He and Ann are great friends and they know that no one worked harder absent Paul Ryan, no one worked harder for Mitt Romney’s election in 2012 than I did. I went to 27 different states for Mitt Romney. And I would have been in five, six more, the last week of the election, except the second worst natural disaster in American history hit my state. And here is what the people out there need to know. When I take the oath of office I take an oath of office not an oath of party. And my job as governor of New Jersey was do the best I could for the people of my state that’s exactly what I did. I make no apologies for it ever. I did my job. And the proof is that now New Jersey is rebuilt. And almost all of its families are restored. And I make no apologies for that, nor will I ever.”
GEIST: “But you know, as you continue to rise here in New Hampshire you’ll see that down the road in an ad. They will show picture of you with President Obama —“ [crosstalk]
CHRISTIE: “If that’s the worst thing they put about me Willie, we’re having a great week, baby. (Laughter) A great week, that’s fine.”
SCARBOROUGH: “I — I’ll tell you — in Florida, you know, three hurricanes coming through, hated at the time, loathed to Bill Clinton. But I’ll tell you what, people want to see the president of the United States no matter who it is coming into your district and when he came in, I was so appreciative of him coming in and bringing attention to the national disaster [crosstalk] that four years later I voted to impeach him. (Laughter) But I’ll tell you at the time — I’m just saying whoever the president is, you want them to come in, because with the president, you know, as you want them to come in, because with the president, you know, comes help from the SBA. You know, if the president comes in, then he or she is personally invested in the rebuilding of your community or in your state in this case.”
CHRISTIE: “Exactly right. I just — listen, my test now as governor and my test as president will be to do the best thing for the people who elected me. That’s it. And any other test is not appropriate when you take that oath. That’s [indecipherable]”
BRZEZINSKI: “We’re just getting started here this morning with Governor Chris Christie.”