Christie Admits He Didn’t Actually Direct His Own State To Block Syrian Refugees

Republican presidential candidate New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks during a campaign stop at the launch of a four day New Hampshire bus tour, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015, in Exeter, N.H. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

Republican presidential candidate New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie conceded Friday that he didn’t formally instruct his state to refuse Syrian refugees even though he had written President Obama last month saying he would.

Christie’s admission, during an interview on Fox News host Brian Kilmeade’s radio show, was in response to a Politico New Jersey report last week that Christie never formally asked for his state’s Department of Human Services to refuse refugees.

During the radio interview, Christie referred to Politico’s report as “written by an ignorant person.”

“I sent a letter out making it very clear to people that we didn’t want them. Here is the problem Brian, the federal government can override us and they are,” Christie said. “The president has made it clear he is not going to listen to any request from any governor not to accept these folks. Since immigration is still a federal issue, the fact is, they are going to be able to continue to do what they are doing.”

Christie’s letter to Obama in November urged him “to halt your plans to accept more Syrian refugees in the United States.”

“I sent a letter Brian, there is nothing else for me to do,” Christie said. “I made my feelings very plain to the federal government and the federal government has responded by saying that they are going to continue to place refugees.”

h/t: Politico New Jersey

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  1. Rino. Needs to be primaried obviously. Completely in the thrall of the Obama admin.

  2. He’s an idiot and he will never be President.

    Let the court system and the voters of New Jersey deal with him.

  3. Posturing bullying bloviating blowhard. He sucks.

  4. Hey Christie, stop it with the sternly worded letters. That’s our schtick.

  5. Avatar for meri meri says:

    Sounds like we finally got Stay Puft to admit that the Federal overrides the State.

    Maybe he can talk to some dumbass southern rednecks about that.

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