Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie told a group of South Jersey business leaders that he intends to remain a “loud voice” in politics as President Donald Trump enters the final two years of his second term.
Here are 10 moments from Christie’s appearance on Friday at the Southern New Jersey Development Council’s Sound Off for South Jersey Legislative Conference in Mount Laurel:
- Election predictions: Christie predicted Democrats will take control of the House, while the Senate is “still really a junk ball.” He said the Trump era will effectively end after the Nov. 3 elections. “No matter what happens on Nov. 3, we are in for an even more tumultuous two years.” He also said it’s “a sure bet” that Democrats win a majority of governorships.
- On tariffs: “How about we stop fighting with Canada?” Christie proposed. He said Canada and Mexico are great neighbors. “I’ll tell you what I would do. My first meetings, if I were the president, would be with the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of Mexico and I would say, I don’t want us to leave this room until we remove every trade barrier we have between our three countries. And then we trade as United North America and we will kick every ass all over this world.”
- His successors: Christie had harsh words for former Governor Phil Murphy, saying the state has become more expensive and its budget is bloated. But he said he liked Governor Mikie Sherrill. “The new governor has a blank slate to be able to do what she wants to do. And I’m pulling for her. I hope she has the strength and the courage and the wisdom to do it. If she does, I don’t care that she’s a Democrat. I’ll cheer for her.”
- Camden memories: Christie recalled visiting his Camden office as U.S. attorney, where two Marshalls insisted on walking him to his car. A city once ranked the most dangerous in America saw homicides plunge after Christie worked with Camden Democratic Mayor Dana Redd to dismantle the city’s police department and create a county-run force. He pointed to that as an example of bipartisan problem-solving.
- Reagan: Christie spoke of Ronald Reagan, his political hero, praising his ability to compromise on big issues like Social Security and Medicare. During Reagan’s 1984 re-election race with former Vice President Walter Mondale, Reagan won all the states except Mondale’s home state of Minnesota. Christie said Reagan refused his advisors’ advice to dedicate resources to Minnesota so he could win all 50 states. “Leadership like that sends a signal,” Christie said.
- John Adams: Christie also spoke of his favorite Founding Father, John Adams, joking that he liked him “because he was slightly overweight and cranky. And look, let me be clear, I believe those are extraordinary attributes for leaders.” Christie then quoted Adams’ writing about his hope that future generations would remember the sacrifices made for freedom.
- Hospitals: Christie was asked what he would do to protect hospitals in New Jersey from financial pressures, in part due to Medicaid funding cuts. “How about we be honest with each other for a couple of minutes here, OK? The major hospital systems in this state are not financially insecure,” he said to a group that included many hospital executives, among them his former chief of staff Kevin O’Dowd, now co-CEO of Cooper Norcross Health. “You’re low on my list of worries at the moment.”
- Permitting: Asked how to fix New Jersey’s permitting process for infrastructure projects, Christie said: “Stop delaying. Stop kicking the can down the road. If the answer is no, tell them. It is the suspended animation of dealing with the New Jersey state government that drives people insane. It costs us projects.”
- Princeton gig: Christie spoke about teaching a course on political campaigns at Princeton University. He said he has students telling him that the country has never been more divided or angry. “I tell them that’s a symptom of how badly they were taught history in high school.”
- South Jersey: When asked why Christie devoted time and resources to South Jersey during his terms as governor, he joked that it wasn’t for votes, noting that a big chunk of the electorate lives in North Jersey. “It’s so important to continue to grow this economy. It’s so important to support our South Jersey businesses.”
