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Chris ChristieBorn on September 6, 1962, Christopher James Christie is a lawyer and politician who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey. He was sworn in as governor on January 19, 2010, and again on January 21, 2014 for his second term. He served as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey from January 2002 to December 2008. He previously sought the Republican party’s nomination for president in 2016.
Campaign Website - chrischristie.com |
photo source: Christie Institute for Public Policy
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Military Assistance to Ukraine
Christie is in favor of military assistance to Ukraine. He has stated that it is important to stand up to Russia.
"Let's remember the last time that we turned our back on a shooting war in Europe, it bought us just a couple of years and then 500,000 Americans were killed in Europe to defeat Hitler. This is not a choice. This is the price we pay for being the leaders of the ‘Free World’ and the fact is this alliance is not just with Russia and China. Governor Haley knows this. Iran is in the middle of this as well and so is North Korea and they are all working to support Russia right now. The reason they're doing it is because dictators work together. People who believe in democracy work together. We must stand with all of those that are standing up for democracy and freedom in this world and by the way let's remind everybody of this. In 1992 this country made a promise to Ukraine. We said if you return nuclear missiles that were part of the old Soviet Union to Russia and they invade you we will protect you. An American promise that's 31 years old is no different than an American promise that's made tonight on this stage. We need to stand by it and those of us who forget history are doomed to repeat it. The absolute giving in to dictators which is being suggested on the stage just shows the immaturity of the approach."
Response to C-SPAN First in the Nation Leadership Summit in New Hampshire [4:48], October 13, 2023
"...Because if you don't think the Russians are happy this morning that we are now distracted by Israel, you are kidding yourself. Every minute we spend in our news coverage ,and our political discussions talking about Israel, are moments that we are not talking about Ukraine. It makes it easy for the Russians to continue their aggression.
Let the Ukrainians win this fight now so that we don't have to send American men and women to Poland or to one of the Baltic counties."
Response to Second Republican Presidential Debate, September 27, 2023
Question:
- President Biden’s first two years have brought China, Russia, and Iran closer together. Are we focused too much on Ukraine, and not enough on this threat from the new world order?
- "No, they’re all connected, Stuart. They’re all connected.
The Chinese are paying for the Russian war in Ukraine. The Iranians are supplying more sophisticated weapons, and so are the North Koreans now as well, with the encouragement of the Chinese. The naivete on this stage from some of these folks is extraordinary.
Look, I understand people want to go and talk to Putin. Guess what? So did George W. Bush. So did Barack Obama. So did Donald Trump. And so did Joe Biden, when he said a small invasion wouldn’t be so bad. Every one of them has been wrong. And the fact of the matter is, we need to say right now that the Chinese-Russian alliance is something we have to fight against. And we are not going to solve it by going over and cuddling up to Vladimir Putin.
Look, Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin was brilliant and a great leader. This is the person who is murdering people in his own country. And now, not having enough blood, he’s now going to Ukraine to murder innocent civilians and kidnap 20,000 children.
And let me tell you, if you think that’s where it’s going to stop, if we give him any of Ukraine, next will be Poland.”
Response to First Republican Presidential Debate, August 23, 2023
Question:“All right, look, I did go to Ukraine. And I went to Ukraine, because I wanted to see for myself, what Vladimir Putin’s army was doing to the free Ukrainian people. And let me tell you, I want you all to look around this arena tonight. And imagine that every one of these seats was filled.
- The US has committed nearly $77 billion in aid to the Ukraine war. The administration is now asking Congress for $24 billion more, regardless of that the specific — specifics of that plan, is there anyone on stage who would not support the increase of more funding to Ukraine?
And if every one of them was filled, there would still be 2500 more children outside to make over 20,000 who have been abducted, stolen, ripped from their mothers and fathers and brought back to Russia to be programmed to fight their own families. They have gouged out people’s eyes, cut off their ears and shot people in the back of the head, men, and then gone into those homes and raped the — the daughters and the wives who were left as widows and orphans.
This is — this is the Vladimir Putin — this is the Vladimir Putin, who Donald Trump called brilliant and a genius. If we don’t stand up against this type of autocratic killing in the world, we will be next."
Arms to Israel
Christie is in favor of military aid to Israel. He said the United States should provide everything that Israel needs.
" The first thing I would say to Prime Minister Netanyahu is pretty simple, America is here no matter what it is you need, at any time to preserve the state of Israel. Remember that Hamas's main goal is to get rid of Israel, is to get Israel absolutely off the map. Now there are three things I think I would say to him. When he asked for advice the first I would say is that it is absolutely your obligation to protect the territorial integrity of Israel. Secondly to make sure you protect the security and the safety of your people. Every time something happens to compromise either one of those things, it creates greater unrest in the entire region. Second, you must go in and make sure that Hamas can never do this again. The fact is that Israel and their intelligence Community failed. They failed here and they failed the people of the state of Israel and so we need to work closely and better together."
Response to C-SPAN First in the Nation Leadership Summit in New Hampshire [7:20], October 13, 2023
"There should be no equivocation form anybody in the country about where we stand with Israel. They are the only democracy in the Middle East. If we don't stand with Israel, Israel will not exist."
Response to ABC News, October 8, 2023
“What I would be doing is making sure one, that Israel has everything it needs to be able to take whatever actions it needs to take."
Arms to Saudi Arabia
Our research has not indicated a position on this topic.
Arms to Taiwan
Christie is in favor of providing arms to Taiwan. He has stated Taiwan needs weapons to counter China.
Response at Town hall in South Carolina, October 22, 2023
"Taiwan needs to be armed now so that we are not catching up later. We need to be sending a message to the Chinese now that Taiwan will be ready if they come."
Question: Do you think arming every family in Taiwan with an AR-15 is a plausible policy?
"I don’t think we have constitutional authority over Taiwan, to give them a Second Amendment. I think they can only do that for themselves.
...Once again, I want to play the role of actually answering your question, which is if China went after Taiwan, you’re absolutely right, I would, as president, have us go militarily and defend them. Secondly, I’m not afraid based upon those economic relationships to do that because these economic relationships mean nothing. Nothing. If what’s going to happen is that China is going to come and act in that region of the world however they see fit. It’s not right."
"I know China is the enemy and that’s what we should be focused on."
Military intervention across Mexican Border
Christie is in favor of military intervention into Mexico. He said that he would consider action inside Mexico after a 90 day ultimatum.
Statement at Campaign Rally in South Carolina [01:39:35], July 21, 2023
"If I am elected President, on the first day I will sign an executive order that sends the national guard to the border and their specific task will be the interdiction of fentanyl to apprehend the drug cartels coming across the border. Second, I will ask the Director of the CIA to work with the Department of Defense to help with the plan for us to make aggressive action against the drug cartels inside Mexico, and I will say to the President of Mexico, I am going to give you 90 days to help clean that up. If you don't clean it up in 90 days, then I am going to avail myself of the tools I have as the president of the United States and the Commander-in-Chief of the greatest intelligence agency and the greatest army in the world and we are goin to take care of it. One way or the other."
Response to CNN Town Hall, June 12, 2023
"No matter how hard our Customs and Border patrol agents and our immigration and customs enforcement agents are working, they need backup."
"This is where President Trump has failed us so badly. I mean I stood on that stage eight years ago and heard him say, 'I'm going to build a big beautiful wall across the entire border and Mexico's going to pay for it.' Well four years later, we got a quarter of a wall and not one peso towards that."
Arms Trade Treaty
Our research has not indicated a position on this topic.