President Barack Obama lives in a “fantasy world” and is trying to “distract” from the challenges Islamic terrorism poses. That was New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s takeaway from the president’s Sunday evening address from the Oval Office. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEKLY STANDARD Monday morning, the Republican blasted the president for “running out the clock” in the fight against terrorism.
Obama’s speech from the Oval Office, which aired shortly before Sunday Night Football, called for Congress to pass gun-control legislation in response to the ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, last week.
“To begin with, Congress should act to make sure no one on a no-fly list is able to buy a gun. What could possibly be the argument for allowing a terrorist suspect to buy a semi-automatic weapon? This is a matter of national security,” Obama said.
Christie said that while “in theory, I don’t have a huge problem” with keeping guns out of the hands of people on the no-fly list, the proposal would not have prevented the married couple from carrying out their attack in California. “It’s a distraction,” Christie said. “They weren’t on any list.” He called attempts by Democrats to pass gun-control measures “cynical.”
Obama also warned Americans against “discrimination” against Muslims in the U.S. It is our responsibility to reject religious tests on who we admit into this country. It’s our responsibility to reject proposals that Muslim Americans should somehow be treated differently,” Obama said. “Because when we travel down that road, we lose.”
Christie’s home state of New Jersey has a relatively large number of Muslim citizens and residents, and as governor he nominated a practicing Muslim to a judicial post amid some controversy. Asked to respond to Obama’s warning against discrimination, Christie scoffed. “The guy lives in a fantasy world,” he said. “I don’t see any acts of vengeance happening against Muslim-Americans. The president is trying to prescribe a cure for something that doesn’t ail us.”
Christie characterized the Obama administration’s approach to national security as “prevent defense.” “Which means you’ll never win,” he said.
“He’s running out the clock,” Christie added.
What about Obama’s pronouncement that “we will succeed in this mission because we are on the right side of history”? Christie wasn’t having it. “Those kind of statements are emblematic of why the slogan of this administration ought to be, ‘Always wrong, never in doubt,'” he said.
“I do believe ultimately we will win,” Christie continued. “It won’t be without a fight.”
