New Jersey Governor and Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie stated that the Planned Parenthood videos are the first test of whether Attorney General Loretta Lynch is “going to be the chief federal law enforcement officer of this country, or is she going play politics” on Thursday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor.”
Christie was asked whether, as a former US Attorney, he could believe Planned Parenthood wasn’t being investigated. He answered, “No, I can’t. Given what we’ve seen on these videos and the history, there absolutely should be. There’s enough to investigate. Let’s get the facts, as you said in your opening. Let’s get the facts, let’s see where they lead, and let’s move on this. Because, we’re talking about some things that are highly offensive to most of the people in America, and if, as alleged on the video, they’re against the law.”
Christie added, “Well, he [President Obama] took an oath, as you said, and I took the same kind of oath. You say, ‘I swear to enforce the laws,’ not the laws I like, or the laws I agree with, but the laws. And this president has not done that. And this attorney general, in her first real challenge, has to show everybody, is she going to be the chief federal law enforcement officer of this country, or is she going play politics?” And that he believes Attorney General Lynch can go against her boss, pointing to the resignations of Attorney Generals during the Nixon administration and asking, “why shouldn’t we expect the same type of ethical conduct and righteousness from the current attorney general?”
Christie also stated that he believes there shouldn’t be tax dollars going to Planned Parenthood and talked about vetoing Planned Parenthood funding multiple times as New Jersey’s governor.
He also talked about his conversion on the issue. Christie said that he changed his mind after hearing the heartbeat of his second child back in 1995. He said after hearing that heartbeat, he realized being pro-abortion wasn’t “justifiable.”
Christie further commented on the Planned Parenthood videos, declaring, “It’s disgusting. It’s unacceptable. And I think to most common sense Americans in this country, no matter where you are, by the way on the choice issue. I’m pro-life, but no matter where you are. I think you look at something like this and say, ‘This is not the kind of thing we want happening in our country.'”
The discussion also touched on sanctuary cities, Christie said that are sanctuary cities in New Jersey, but that this is a “failure of the federal government,” and there’s nothing he can do as governor, but that he would, if he became president, take money away from sanctuary cities.
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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