CBS host John Dickerson pressed Republican presidential candidate and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in an interview aired Sunday for his thoughts on how his stance on gun control has shifted within the past two decades.
Christie told the Newark Star-Ledger back in 1993 that the gun control effort had “energized” him to enter state politics. But when he was asked about those convictions in November, the GOP presidential hopeful said he didn’t remember making that claim.
Christie most recently conceded the he had “changed my mind” about guns in an interview with Fox News last week.
But, Dickerson wanted to get to the bottom of Christie’s changing views on gun control, and at one point asked the governor if he stood with the National Rifle Association.
Christie told the host that his views on gun control have evolved over time.
“Would you say you stand with the NRA?” Dickerson asked Christie.
“I stand with anybody who believes in protecting the second amendment and protecting public safety. And whether it’s the NRA or other organizations like the New Jersey Pistol Club, or others, I stand with organizations who want to make sense between public safety and our second amendment rights,” Christie said. “And I think they do.”
Christie then said he would comment on specific NRA-related issues, but not the organization overall.
“But I’m not going to say I stand with anybody, any particular interest group and give them a blank check,” Christie said. “That’s not what leadership is.”
