RINDGE, N.H. — Surely, says Chris Christie, Republicans can’t be “stupid” enough to fall for Donald Trump’s “build a wall” routine again or anyone else employing it, right?
That’s seems to be what Christie was wondering fresh off an Alabama stage, when he began a two-day tour of New Hampshire colleges early on Thursday in an attempt to carry forward whatever momentum he’s gained from a well received performance during the most recent Republican presidential primary debate.
Christie started his visit in south western New Hampshire, at Franklin Pierce University, where he joined dozens of students and faculty for a question and answer session aimed, he said, at reaching out to a segment of the population which traditionally participates in the democratic process far less than their older peers.
“I hear people in my business complain all the time about you,” Christie said. “They say young people don’t vote, young people don’t get involved, young people don’t care about the country enough at this stage in their lives to get involved enough even to register and to vote.”
But in order to convince the young crop of potential first-in-the-nation primary voters to participate, the former federal prosecutor said, people in his line of work need to earn their attention “and try to inspire you to care.”
“This is your future we’re talking about,” he said. “The decisions being made today are going to affect your life.”
Thank you @GovChristie, for participating in Pizza & Politics here at FPU!
We hope you enjoyed your visit and that the pizza compares to a Jersey slice 😎#PierceProud pic.twitter.com/lYpfGNTcwg
— Franklin Pierce (@FPUniversity) December 7, 2023
Christie didn’t bother with much of a stump speech, and instead spent most of an hour taking questions from a pair of student journalists and fielding a few from voters. While the ex-Garden State governor has been booed by larger Republican audiences receiving the blunt end of his attention, the answers he gave the small but engaged crowd on Thursday were met with agreeable laughter and nods.
He spoke about his notably bombastic debate performance the night before in Tuscaloosa, holding himself out as a stark contrast to both his fellow debaters and former President Donald Trump, who has ducked each of four party debates.
“We’re down to seven weeks from the New Hampshire primary. It’s game time now. If you’re going to vote for someone, they better be ready to answer your questions,” he said.
When it comes to buying the grandiose promises made by the politicians seeking the party primary — the kind which were so prevalent in 2016 and again feature heavily this election cycle — Christie said, it’s best “to be cautious.”
“And if you’re not cautious about this after the election of Donald Trump eight years ago, you should be. TV-tough guy talk may sound good to some people; it never happens,” he said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ promise to shoot drug dealers coming into the U.S. from Mexico, Christie said, as well as his and Trump’s calls to build a wall along the full length of the neighboring countries’ border and make Mexico foot the bill, are simply never going to come to be. Trump didn’t build the wall last time, he said, he won’t build it this time, and neither will anyone else.
“We can’t be that stupid again, can we? To actually believe that promise — we shouldn’t have believed it eight years ago and supported someone who would lie to us like that,” Christie said.
Christie’s scheduled stops Thursday included an event at Keene State College and New England College. He’ll be in Durham at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, for a town hall style event at the University of New Hampshire, followed by an evening stop in Hooksett.
Christie is polling third in New Hampshire and fifth nationally. Trump leads all of the other candidates combined by double digit margins.
