February has been a busy month for Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Following his campaign’s unsuccessful attempt to garner a significant percentage of the GOP vote in the New Hampshire Primary, Christie suspended his efforts to attain the nomination. Weeks later he endorsed Donald Trump during a bizarre press conference, gave an even more bizarre interview, then tried to return to state affairs on Monday with a press conference about his nomination nor the New Jersey Supreme Court. It didn’t go so well.
That’s because, despite his staff stressing that the governor wouldn’t answer any off-topic questions, the press in attendance asked such questions anyways. One reporter even prefaced his question by asking Christie’s permission. Obviously, it didn’t work.
“No. No. No, I won’t permit you to. I told you that there’s going to be only on-topic questions today, so permission denied.”
The reporter was never able to get to his intended question, which was probably about Trump, but we’ll never know for sure. Even a question about a non-Trump, off-topic state issue from another journalist was ignored by Christie when the matter was brought up during the Q&A.
At least Christie’s insistence on not answering questions gifted the internet with yet another GIF-able moment.
Yet the governor loosened up a bit as the press conference wore on, and a reporter managed to squeak in a question about the GOP’s ongoing efforts to block President Obama’s nomination process for the Supreme Court. Such became necessary after the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia in Texas due to natural causes. Despite Obama’s recent failed attempt to groom a Republican for the position, conservatives across the board are opposing the president’s efforts to fill the vacancy before he leaves office in January 2017.
So what does Christie, who called Monday’s press conference to discuss his own nomination for New Jersey’s Supreme Court, have to say about all that?
“As I’ve always said, I believe [Obama’s nominating a new justice is] absolutely the right thing to do. People can always vote up or down however they choose, but hearings should be held.”
Too bad the lucky journalist didn’t ask the governor about his pending sumo wrestling match with one of the Oregon militia members.
(Via Mediaite & Talking Points Memo)