Chris Christie Defends Obama Hug After Hurricane Sandy

Chris Christie Defends Obama Hug After Hurricane Sandy

Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie believes his embrace of President Barack Obama after Hurricane Sandy did not hurt Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. 

In fact, Christie said in an interview that aired Monday on Fox News’ The Kelly File that nobody besides vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan worked harder for Romney during that campaign. 

Host Megyn Kelly mentioned that some in the GOP base have criticized Christie for the hug captured by campaign photographers and said they “felt betrayed” that he hurt Romney a week before the election. She then asked him whether he hurt Romney. 

“No,” Christie answered before claiming that Romney and his campaign have said that his hug did not negatively impact Romney in various polls. 

Christie then accused his critics of having a “very short memory,” because “there was not one person with the possible exception of Paul Ryan in America who worked harder for Mitt Romney.”

“I was the first governor to come out and endorse him in fall of 2011,” he said. “I traveled to 26 states for him.”

Christie said that the Friday before Hurricane Sandy, he was in North Carolina campaigning and raising money for Romney. 

“When that crisis hit, I was asked, has the President been responsive? Has the President been there to help your people?” he said. “And my answer was yes. And Megyn, if I had to do it again I would say the exact same thing because it was the honest answer.”

When Kelly said that conservatives were upset that he seemed so effusive around Obama, Christie said he was not smiling during Hurricane Sandy. 

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