Chris Christie in Third GOP presidential primary debate
On Drugs:
Treat drug demand like a disease and offer treatment
Gov. Christie: Now, we also need to lower demand. And the way to lower demand is to start treating people again. And for every family out there tonight who has lost a loved one to fentanyl or to any other type of opioid overdose, what you know is all
you want is a chance for them to win their lives back. When I'm president of the United States, we're going to call this what it is. It is a disease like heart disease, diabetes, or any other disease like cancer that can be treated, should be treated.
Source: NBC News 2023 Republican primary debate in Miami
Nov 8, 2023
On Families & Children:
Pro-life is not just in the womb, it's for the whole life
Gov. Chris Christie: The bigger issue is we're not pro-life for the whole life. To be pro-life for the whole life means that the life of a 16-year-old drug addict on the floor of the county lockup is precious and we should get treatment for her to
restore her life. The 52-year-old who's drug addicted should make sure that any of his children who he's passed that addiction on to are treated well, too. Pro-life is not just in the womb, it's for the whole life.
Source: NBC News 2023 Republican primary debate in Miami
Nov 8, 2023
On Foreign Policy:
It's the price we pay for being leaders of the free world
Q: How long should Americans be expected to help fund the war in Ukraine?Gov. Christie: 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. Iran is in the middle of this as well, and so is North Korea.
And 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 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--we need to stand by it.
Source: NBC News 2023 Republican primary debate in Miami
Nov 8, 2023
On Foreign Policy:
Work with reasonable Arab nations to isolate Iran
Q: What to do in the Middle East?Chris Christie: Make sure that we continue to isolate Iran, work with the reasonable nations in the Middle East, the other
Arab nations who want to partner with you and make sure that we continue to isolate Iran so that their only friends in the world are the part of the evil foursome, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Source: NBC News 2023 Republican primary debate in Miami
Nov 8, 2023
On Foreign Policy:
Make sure that America's role in the world stays number one
Gov. Chris Christie: Listen, it's a gift. A gift to be an American. I'm running for president to be a president of consequence, to do the big things, to make sure that America's role in the world stays number one.
That we stand up for our friends and allies around the world and we stand up for what we believe in right here at home.
Source: NBC News 2023 Republican primary debate in Miami
Nov 8, 2023
On Social Security:
Rich people should not be collecting Social Security
Gov. Chris Christie: The fact is we need to be realistic about this. There are only three things that go into determining whether Social Security can be solvent or not. Retirement age, eligibility for the program in general and taxes. That's it.
We are already overtaxed in this country and we should not raise those taxes. But on eligibility also, rich people should not be collecting Social Security.
Source: NBC News 2023 Republican primary debate in Miami
Nov 8, 2023
On Technology:
In my first week as president we would ban TikTok
Gov. Chris Christie: So in my first week as president, we would ban TikTok. They want to go ahead and sell it, let them go ahead and sell it. But I'll tell you another reason we would do it. Facebook's not in China, X is not in China. They're not
permitting a free flow of information to the Chinese people from our social media companies, yet we just open the door and let them do what they're doing. TikTok should be banned because they are poisoning American minds and I would do it week one.
Source: NBC News 2023 Republican primary debate in Miami
Nov 8, 2023
On War & Peace:
U.S. nuclear submarines are deterrent to Chinese aggression
Gov. Chris Christie: The nuclear submarines in this United States Navy is the greatest deterrent to Chinese aggression. Our nuclear submarines are able to move stealthily, quietly, and effectively. And if we are going to deter China from invading
Taiwan, the only way we're going to do it is to make sure that they don't know whether how many nuclear submarines from the United States of America are in the South China Sea and in that area and ready to strike on them if they decide to move on Taiwan.
Source: NBC News 2023 Republican primary debate in Miami
Nov 8, 2023
Page last updated: Nov 18, 2023