Christie: Eliminating the FBI 'one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard'

RYE — On Monday, Sept. 11, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie voiced full-throated support of the FBI and said calls to eliminate the agency by some of his fellow Republican presidential primary candidates is “one of the stupidest ideas I’ve ever heard.”

“If I told you 22 years ago tonight that there would not be another foreign terrorist attack on this soil for 22 years, no one would’ve believed me,” Christie said. “But it is the work of the men and women at the FBI and our intelligence agencies and our law enforcement agencies in the states that have made that a reality.”

Former President Donald Trump has led calls among Republican leaders, picked up most aggressively by fellow presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, to defund the FBI because of what he has called corrupt investigations into his 2016 campaign and presidency.

“The FBI does extraordinary work in this country,” Christie said. “There’s a lot of politics around it now because of the prosecutions and investigations that have gone on.”

Christie spoke during the second-to-last candidate backyard barbecue for New Hampshire primary candidates hosted by former U.S. Senator and ambassador Scott Brown and his wife Gail Huff Brown in Rye.

Christie, in response to a question, said if elected he would work to reform the federal Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security, which he called “a mishmash” that was put together in haste by Congress following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

“Homeland Security was put together in the heat that we were all feeling after the event that happened 22 years ago today,” Christie said. “I was in law enforcement at the time, and I’m telling you, every one of the people who are in the Department of Homeland Security don’t want to be there. It was a bad idea at the time. It’s been poorly executed, and we need to completely revamp it.”

In calling to transform the Department of Education and for “a complete educational freedom agenda in this country,” Christie cited statistics showing large numbers of eighth-graders testing below grade level in reading and math.

“And we’re spending $400 billion a year in this country on education,” Christie said. “I think it’s time to take the educational system of this country away from the teachers’ unions and return it to the parents. Let parents make decisions about what to do, where their kids are best educated.”

In his closing remarks to voters, a group smaller than those who recently showed up at the same venue to see former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, Christie made a direct appeal, telling them the fate of his candidacy and the fate of the nation rested with them and their fellow New Hampshire voters.

“New Hampshire is going to decide whether we have the rule of law and respect in this country or not,” Christie said. “New Hampshire’s going to decide whether law and order applies to everyone or only to some people. New Hampshire’s going to decide whether we’re going to have another four years of Joe Biden or not. And I have complete confidence in the people of this state, that when you have the opportunity to really think about these issues, you’ll think about them the right way.”

Real Clear Politics polling averages have Christie at 8%,­­­ running third in New Hampshire behind ­­Trump at 44% and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 13%.

Christie repeated his criticism of Trump's failure "to meet a certain standard in (his) personal and political conduct."

"Putting aside the criminal charges, whether you agree with them or disagree with them, and there are some I disagree with, but the conduct is unacceptable in my view for a president."

Christie also knocked the six candidates who raised their hands on the debate stage in Milwaukee in August to indicate they would support Trump, even if he was convicted of felony charges.

Christie said if Trump is the Republican nominee, the party will lose the election for president and Congress and the damage will be felt down ballot at the state level as well.

Peter Peirce Rice, of New Castle, came to see Christie and said he supports him because “he hasn’t been afraid to call out Trump.”

Rice, who said he supported the late John McCain's presidential runs, said he sees similarities between the Arizona senator’s 2000 campaign and Christie’s campaign today.

Christie cited McCain in his closing remarks, suggesting he would win: “In the same way that John McCain didn’t lead in one poll in 2000 until he beat George W. Bush by 18 points on primary night in 2000.”

“If New Hampshire gives me the votes to beat Donald Trump on primary night in New Hampshire, this whole race and all these polls you see and everything else will change overnight,” Christie said.

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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Christie defends FBI, says like McCain he'll defy polls, win in NH