“What I’ll tell you is that Muslim-Americans are not nearly that sensitive, not nearly as sensitive as some of the people in opinion places here in Washington or in the White House believe they are”, he said.
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Tomorrow, Christie heads to Washington D.C. where he will will deliver remarks and take questions to outline critical steps needed to course correct the Obama Administration’s weakening of U.S intelligence capabilities and homeland security and law enforcement coordination.
However, the Republican presidential candidate but says he is starting to see some of the payoff of a summer and early fall of consistent campaigning in the Granite State. They call the effort fear-mongering and point out that the flood of refugees who have been fleeing to Europe and other regions are by in large doing so to escape civil war and ISIS-related violence.
But the Paris attacks shifted the central conversation of the 2016 race from domestic issues to foreign policy and terrorism – the latter a strong suit for the former federal prosecutor and NY metro native. “So yeah, a long time ago”, Christie said.
“The goal and intent of the American president has to be first and foremost to prevent another generation of those widows and orphans on American soil”.
To make his point, he retold his intensely personal tale of trying to find his wife, who was at work in lower Manhattan when the planes hit on September 11, 2001.
“I would be fascinated to see the president go to Paris and speak to the families who lost their loved ones 12, 13 days ago and tell them that ISIS is just a group of killers who are good at social media and fascinating to see the secretary of State go to those Parisian families and tell them that ISIS is not 10 feet tall”, said Christie.
Christie also weighed in Monday on Donald Trump’s claims that there were “thousands” of Muslims cheering in New Jersey on 9/11.
“I do not remember that, and so it’s not something that was part of my recollection”.
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And Joanna Gardener, spokeswoman for Catholic Charities of Camden, the third major Syrian refugee resettlement charity in the state, said in a statement that the group has “always notified the New Jersey Department of Human Services of the refugees we are assisting”. “I think if it had happened, I would remember it. But, you know, there could be things I forget too”.
