Chris Christie presidential campaign, 2016/Foreign affairs
From Ballotpedia
 Chris Christie |
Governor of New Jersey (2010-2018) U.S. Attorney for New Jersey (2002-2008) |
 Republican candidate: |
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016 |
This page was current as of the 2016 election.
Military preparedness and budget
- At the eighth Republican presidential primary debate on February 6, 2016, Chris Christie discussed his support for requiring women to register for the draft: "What my wife and I have taught our daughters right from the beginning, that their sense of self-worth, their sense of value, their sense of what they want to do with their life comes not from the outside, but comes from within. And if a young woman in this country wants to go and fight to defend their country, she should be permitted to do so. Part of that also needs to be part of a greater effort in this country, and so there's no reason why one -- young women should be discriminated against from registering for the selective service. The fact is, we need to be a party and a people that makes sure that our women in this country understand anything they can dream, anything that they want to aspire to, they can do. That's the way we raised our daughters and that's what we should aspire to as president for all of the women in our country."[1]
- While serving on a panel at the Aspen Institute, Christie criticized politicians like Rand Paul, often described as "isolationists," for wanting to reduce anti-terror measures. Christie said that a move in this direction would be "dangerous."[2]
National security
- During the sixth Republican presidential primary debate, on January 14, 2016, Chris Christie talked about the use of military force: “Military action ... would be used when it was absolutely necessary to protect American lives and protect American interests around the world. We are not the world's policeman, but we need to stand up and be ready. And the problem ... is that the military is not ready, either. We need to rebuild our military, and this president has let it diminish to a point where tinpot dictators like the mullahs in Iran are taking our Navy ships. It is disgraceful, and in a Christie administration, they would know much, much better than to do that.”[3]
- Christie defended his record as a prosecutor after it was determined he has not appeared before the Foreign Intelligence Services Court as he claimed during the first Republican presidential primary debate in August. Christie said on December 23, 2015, “We absolutely work in coordination with the Justice Department to provide them with the information that allows them to make the application. I never said that I personally appeared before the FISA court. I said we appeared, as the Justice Department.” The New York Times wrote, “A close examination of Mr. Christie’s record as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor from 2002 to 2008 shows that he did acquire greater counterterrorism experience than his current rivals. But it also shows that he has, at times, overstated the significance of the terrorism prosecutions he oversaw...and appears to have exaggerated his personal role in obtaining court permission for surveillance of terrorism suspects.”[4]
- At the fifth GOP primary debate on December 15, 2015, Christie discussed his strategy for protecting against cyber-attacks from China: “Well, what it would like is, we have one of the great advantages of America being the open society that we are. It is, we are not hiding things from the American people, but China everyday is conducting business in a way that hides things from their people. So if they want to come in and attack all the personnel records in the federal government, which they've done, and which - they now have my Social Security number and my fingerprints, as well as maybe some other folks' who are on this stage. The fact is, they need to be fought back on. And what we need to do is go at the things that they are most sensitive and most embarrassing to them; that they're hiding; get that information and put it out in public. Let the Chinese people start to digest how corrupt the Chinese government is; how they steal from the Chinese people; and how they're enriching oligarchs all throughout China. They need to understand that. And we need to take those type of steps. This president has seen personnel records of people who have sacrificed for the American people and for the federal government stolen by the Chinese and he's done nothing in return. This is why - this is what I said at the beginning that this administration, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton through their foreign policy, have betrayed the American people, because the weakness they've displayed has led to Putin's incursions in the Middle East and in eastern Europe, and has led - has led to significant problems in the Middle East as well, and the death and murder of lots of folks.”[5]
- In an interview published by The Atlantic on December 4, 2015, Christie said he believed “Iran is a greater threat than ISIS.” He continued, “I believe Iran is moving toward obtaining a nuclear weapon. I have no proof at this point that ISIS is moving toward obtaining weapons of mass destruction.”[6]
- Christie said on December 3, 2015, that he was “convinced [the San Bernardino mass shooting] was a terrorist attack. … The president continues to wring his hands and say, ‘We’ll see.’ But those folks, dressed in tactical gear with semi-automatic weapons, came there to do something.” He added, “We need to come to grips with the idea that we are in the next World War.”[7]
- Christie said on November 16, 2015, he opposed closing Guantanamo Bay in an interview with The Washington Post. “I was never in favor of closing Gitmo. We don’t need to make it much more complicated to defend the homeland,” he said.[8]
- Christie defended George W. Bush’s decision to go into Afghanistan on the September 2015 GOP debate stage. Said Christie, “I support what President Bush did at that time, going into Afghanistan, hunting al Qaeda and its leaders, getting its sanctuary out of place, and making it as difficult around the world for them to move people and money. And then he went to prosecutors like us, and he said, never again. Don’t prosecute these people after the crime is committed. Intervene before the crime happens. I absolutely believe that what the president did at the time was right. And I am proud to have been one of the people on the stage who was part of making sure that what Governor Bush said before was the truth. America was safe for those seven years and Barack Obama has taken that safety away from us.”[9]
- In July 2015, Christie called whistleblower Edward Snowden “a piece of garbage” and “a traitor” in an interview on FOX News. He added he “wouldn’t put any [Navy] SEALS life at risk” to retrieve Snowden from Russia and suggested “people like Rand Paul” empowered Snowden.[10][11]
- Christie said in July 2014 that unrest in the Middle East was partly a result of a lack of leadership by President Obama. Christie explained, "He draws red lines then doesn’t enforce them; he doesn’t stand up for our friends in a vocal and forceful way."[12]
- Earlier that year, Christie had expressed a similar criticism against the Obama administration, saying, "We cannot have a world where our friends are unsure of whether we’ll be with them, and our enemies are unsure of whether we’ll be against them."[13]
International relations
- At the eighth Republican presidential primary debate on February 6, 2016, Chris Christie how he would handle the college student held hostage by North Korea: "You never pay ransom to the criminals. Ever. You never pay ransom to the criminals. Everyone out at home watching tonight understands that principle. And so, what you need to do is to engage in a much different way with these folks. They do not understand anything but toughness and strength, and we need to engage the Chinese to deal with the North Koreans, but we also need to make sure that they understand there's a commander-in-chief who will not pay ransom for any hostage. This president and his former secretary of State are for paying ransom for hostages. When do that, you endanger even more Americans around the world to be the subject of this type of hostage taking and illegal detention. You need a strong commander-in-chief who will look these folks in the eye and say, we will not put up with this and we will take whatever actions we need to take, not only to get our people home safely, but to swiftly and surely punish those who believe they can violate the law and violate American's sovereign rights to travel the world freely and safely."[14]
- On January 6, 2016, Christie attributed North Korea’s alleged hydrogen bomb test to “weak American leadership” from the Obama administration. He said, “The problem here is that it's been a weak response by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the last seven years. You know, three out of the four nuclear detonations that the North Koreans have done have happened on Barack Obama and Clinton's watch, and they have just not acted strongly at all around the world.”[15]
- At the fifth GOP primary debate on December 15, 2015, Christie said he would shoot down a Russian plane if it entered a U.S. no-fly zone: “Not only would I be prepared to do it, I would do it. A no-fly zone means a no-fly zone.... That's what it means. See, maybe - maybe because I'm from New Jersey, I just have this kind of plain language hangup. But I would make very clear - I would not talk to Vladimir Putin. In fact, I would talk to Vladimir Putin a lot. But I'd say to him, ‘Listen, Mr. President, there's a no-fly zone in Syria; you fly in, it applies to you.’ And yes, we would shoot down the planes of Russian pilots if in fact they were stupid enough to think that this president was the same feckless weakling that the president we have in the Oval Office is right now.”[16]
- Although Christie had previously said that the U.S. “should play their role” in accepting Syrian refugees, he stated on October 21, 2015, “It's a real danger to take in any of these folks, that's why I've been advocating for the idea that what we need to do is incentivize our allies around the world, especially in the Middle East, for them to take these folks in."[17]
- Christie sent an October 20, 2015, letter sent to John Degnan, chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that requested Newark Liberty International Airport prohibit regular flights from New Jersey to Cuba until Joanne Chesimard, who was convicted of killing a New Jersey State trooper in 1973, is returned to the United States. He wrote, “I will not tolerate rewarding the Cuban government for continuing to harbor a fugitive. I will continue to exercise my authority to ensure that Chesimard is returned.”[18] [19]
- In October 2015, Christie criticized President Obama’s handling of foreign relations with Russia and said the U.S. should provide more support to Europe to be less dependent on Russia for energy. “We could counter that if we had an aggressive energy policy like the one I’ve proposed in this campaign. We should lift the export ban. We should...partner with Mexico and Canada to say the north American continent will supply to Western Europe what they need so they don’t have to rely on Putin. This guy’s economy is in tank and he’s swinging above his weight. And the only American he can knock out in the ring is Barack Obama. Put me in the ring against Vladimir Putin, we’ll do just fine,” Christie said.[20]
- In a September 2015 interview with the Conway Daily Sun, Christie said he would be more aggressive if he were handling China’s presence in the South China Sea. "If I were president, they would have exceeded the limits of my patience at this point. The fact that this president will not fly over these artificial islands in the South China Sea or sail our ships within 12 miles is a de facto acknowledgment that they have jurisdiction over something they don't have jurisdiction over. I'd fly Air Force One over it," Christie said.[21]
- Christie blamed President Obama for the global refugee crisis on September 3, 2015. Speaking of a Syrian boy who drowned off the coast of Greece, Christie said, “That young child today is a symbol for this country’s inaction and this president’s deceit. This president has allowed these folks to be slaughtered. I frankly can't imagine as president of the United States how you could permit this to happen on this scale, and now we're seeing those results. And it's much different when you read about it, and when you see it – it becomes even more powerful."[22]
- In a March 2014 speech, Christie had angered many Israel supporters by using the term “occupied territories” to respond to places inhabited by Palestinians where Israel's military remained present. Shortly after, Christie apologized to Sheldon Adelson, a major donor, for the remark. He added that he was "an unwavering friend and committed supporter of Israel."[13]
- Christie stated in a May 2014 speech that the U.S. needed to be more aggressive and to lead the world by becoming "the strongest moral power for what is good and what is right in the world."[23]
ISIS and terrorism
- At the fifth GOP primary debate on December 15, 2015, Chris Christie talked about his strategy to protect Americans from terrorist attacks: “[U]nfortunately, it's the new normal under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The fact is that if you listen to Hillary Clinton the other day, what she said to the American people was, as regards to ISIS, my strategy would be just about the same as the president's. Just about the same as the president's? We have people across this country who are scared to death. Because I could tell you this, as a former federal prosecutor, if a center for the developmentally disabled in San Bernardino, California, is now a target for terrorists, that means everywhere in America is a target for these terrorists. Now, I spent seven years of my life in the immediate aftermath of September 11th doing this work, working with the Patriot Act, working with our law enforcement, working with the surveillance community to make sure that we keep America safe. What we need to do...is restore those tools that have been taken away by the president and others, restore those tools to the NSA and to our entire surveillance and law enforcement community. We need a president who is going to understand what actionable intelligence looks like and act on it. And we need a president and a cabinet who understands that the first and most important priority of the president of the United States is to protect the safety and security of Americans.As someone who has done it, I will make sure it gets done again.”[24]
- In his speech before the Sunshine Summit in Florida on November 14, 2015, Christie used the Paris terrorist attacks to underline the importance of presidential leadership and condemn President Barack Obama’s foreign policy. He said, "[Obama] called ISIS the JV and just hours, just hours, yesterday before they struck in Paris he told ABC News that his strategy was containing ISIS. All of these statements were a lie, he sees the world as he likes to see it, as a fantasy. I see the world as it really is and it's time to have a president who sees the world as it really is, not how he wishes it would be. … When I'm president of the United States, America will be a nation of action again, and action in the interest of one goal: Protecting the safety, security and freedom of the American people."[25]
Syrian refugees
- In a radio interview on December 4, 2015, Christie said the San Bernardino, Calif. shooting demonstrates why no Syrian refugees, including women and children, should be resettled in the United States. “We now know from San Bernardino, just a couple of days ago, that women are very capable of being involved in terrorist activity. And the widow who comes over here from Syria, if aligned with ISIS or another organization, could create just as much death as any man given the weapons that are available now,” he said.[26]
- Chris Christie sent a letter to President Obama on November 17, 2015, notifying him that New Jersey would not accept any Syrian refugees. He wrote, “Neither you nor any federal official can guarantee that Syrian refugees will not be part of any terroristic activity.”[27]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Chris + Christie + Foreign + Affairs
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Transcript of the New Hampshire GOP debate, annotated," February 6, 2016
- ↑ Commentary Magazine, “Is Christie the Foreign Policy candidate?" July 26, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "6th Republican debate transcript, annotated: Who said what and what it meant," January 14, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Christie Spins His Version of Security Record on Trail," December 26, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "Rush Transcript second debate: CNN Facebook Republican Presidential Debate," December 15, 2015
- ↑ The Atlantic, "Chris Christie: ‘Iran is a Greater Threat Than ISIS’," December 4, 2015
- ↑ Breitbart, "Chris Christie on California Attack: ‘We’re In The Middle Of The Next World War’," December 3, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Chris Christie takes center stage," November 16, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "CNN REAGAN LIBRARY DEBATE: Later Debate Full Transcript," September 16, 2015
- ↑ Breitbart, "Chris Christie: Edward Snowden is "a traitor and a piece of garbage,' July 22, 2015
- ↑ FOX News, "Chris Christie hits Rand Paul, defends record as NJ governor," July 22, 2015
- ↑ NJ.com, "Chris Christie says Middle East unrest 'caused in some measure' by Obama's failed leadership," accessed January 22, 2015
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Politico, “Chris Christie apologizes for ‘occupied territories’ remark," March 29, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Transcript of the New Hampshire GOP debate, annotated," February 6, 2016
- ↑ Asbury Park Press, "Chris Christie on North Korea’s nuclear test," January 6, 2016
- ↑ CNN, "Rush Transcript second debate: CNN Facebook Republican Presidential Debate," December 15, 2015
- ↑ NJ.com, "Christie does about-face on accepting Syrian refugees," October 21, 2015
- ↑ New York Post, "Christie urges Port Authority to reject Newark-Cuba flights over cop-killer case," October 20, 2015
- ↑ NJ.com, "Christie opposes United flights between Newark and Cuba," October 20, 2015
- ↑ Breitbart, "Chris Christie: 'Put me in the ring against Vladimir Putin,'" October 6, 2015
- ↑ Conway Daily Sun, "Christie opens up to the Sun on Obama, China, Bridgegate," September 7, 2015
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Chris Christie blames ‘this president’s deceit’ for Syrian refugee deaths," September 3, 2015
- ↑ The Blaze, "Chris Christie Grades ‘Moral Power’ of U.S. on Global Stage: ‘America Is Disappointing — But It’s Not Too Late,' " accessed January 22, 2015
- ↑ CNN, "Rush Transcript second debate: CNN Facebook Republican Presidential Debate," December 15, 2015
- ↑ NJ.com, "Christie gives fiery speech in Florida in aftermath of Paris attacks (VIDEO)," accessed November 16, 2015
- ↑ ABC News, "Chris Christie: San Bernardino Proves He Was Right to Warn Against Women and Children Refugees," December 5, 2015
- ↑ Bloomberg, "Jeb Bush Splits With Republicans Over Syrian Refugees," November 17, 2015
