Out of this world: Chris Christie shocked by lone question about UFOs at Republican debate

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie appeared thrown off by being the only candidate to be asked about UFOs at Wednesday night's Republican presidential primary debate.

Moderator Martha MacCallum asked Christie what he would do as president to level with Americans on what the government knows about encounters with extraterrestrials. The FOX news anchor added that more people are taking the concept of unidentified flying objects seriously following last month's congressional hearing.

“I get the UFO question?” Christie said, surprised.

Christie then jokingly insinuated MacCallum asked him the question because they are both from New Jersey.

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"Especially coming from a woman from New Jersey, I think it's horrible that just because I’m from New Jersey, you asked me about unidentified flying objects and Martians,” Christie said. "We're different but we're not that different."

Christie added that it is the president's job to be honest with the American people, whether the discussion is about UFOs or problems with the education system.

"The job of the president of the United States is to level with the American people about everything. The job of the president of the United States is to stand for truth," Christie said.

MacCallum's question to Christie comes as more bipartisan pressure is being put on the executive branch of government and the military to release information about so-called unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), or UFOs.

Witnesses called for more military transparency on UFOs at July hearing

At a congressional hearing last month, three former military members called for increased military transparency on how the federal government handles pilot reports of strange encounters.

Former Navy pilot Ryan Graves, Rt. Commander David Fravor and former Air Force and intelligence official David Grusch gave accounts to the House Oversight Committee's national security subcommittee.

Reports and videos of sightings have surfaced for years. The incidents purportedly show crafts moving in ways beyond what human technology is apparently capable of, according to witnesses. At the hearing, the witnesses suggested that the technology observed by the phenomena could be so advanced that it would take humanity decades to equal it.

"The American people deserve to know what is happening in our skies," Graves said during the hearing. "It is long overdue."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'I get the UFO question?' Candidate Chris Christie surprised at debate