‘Are You Proud That’s Our President?’ Nicolle Wallace Grills Chris Christie on Trump-Russia Ties
MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace landed a lengthy interview with embattled New Jersey Governor Chris Christie — his first appearance on cable news since he was caught grazing on a Jersey beach he had closed — and grilled him on Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with Russians during the 2016 campaign.
Christie played an active role in then-candidate Donald Trump‘s campaign when Don Jr. met with several Russians who had promised dirt on Hillary Clinton, courtesy of the Kremlin, at Trump Tower in June, 2016. The governor was actually with Trump the day the now-president’s son took the meeting, though said he was not aware of the meeting.
Christie said during a press conference on Monday that the exchange of opposition research between Don Jr. and Russia would have been “probably against the law.”
Wallace started by reading the email exchange between Don Jr. and Rob Goldstone, the music publicist who promised the Trump campaign dirt on Clinton from the Russian government.
“You gotta consider the source of the information or the recipient of the information,” Christie responded, claiming Goldstone was simply a “music producer” and saying that Don Jr. “is by no means a sophisticated political actor.”
“Can you agree that this is bungled collusion?” Wallace asked.
“No I don’t, because I don’t know who Goldstone is,” Christie replied, arguing that only if Goldstone represented the Russian government would it be significant.
“You’re basically saying he was just a music producer, and you’re basically saying Don Jr. was just dumb,” Wallace said.
Christie disputed that, claiming that it is only evidence of collusion if Goldstone “knew what he was talking about.”
“So for you the discrepancy is whether or not Goldstone’s information was good, not whether or not the son of an American candidate for president agreed to receive oppo from a hostile foreign power?” Wallace asked incredulously.
“Is it patriotic to meet with the Russians?” she added. “When an oppo book was delivered to Al Gore’s campaign he called the FBI.”
Christie admitted that “any smart person” would have consulted lawyers before taking the meeting.
“Do you think [Trump] should stand in the East Room and continue to bellow at the top of his lungs that there was no collusion?” Wallace next asked, to which Christie responded “that’s our guy.”
“That’s your guy?” Wallace asked. “Are you proud that’s our president?”
“I am proud he is the president,” Christie replied.
The governor continued to argue that there was no collusion — though conceding that the meeting was not advisable — and blamed the media for prosecuting Trump without evidence.
When asked whether he thought Trump was lying about not colluding with the Russians, Christie said “he has never lied to me.”
Watch the exchange above, via MSNBC.
[image via screengrab]
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