At a press conference at the statehouse in Trenton, Gov. Chris Christie (R) stated emphatically that he is not running for president.
Christie said that he had previously stated that he was not running, in “clear and direct” language no matter how many times he was asked.
“It wasn’t until recently that I really paused to reflect on my decision,” Christie said, due to the urging of many people across the country, both prominent in politics and average citizens. “I felt an obligation to earnestly consider their advice. Together with Mary Pat and our children, I believed I had an obligation to seriously consider what they were asking me.”
However, he said: “But in the end, what I’ve always felt was the right decision remains the right decision today: Now is not my time. I have a commitment to New Jersey that I simply will not abandon. That’s the promise I made to the people of this state when I took office 20 months ago: to fix a broken New Jersey. and when I look on what I have done, I am proud — but I know we’re not done.”
And, he said: “So New Jersey, whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me.”
Christie also said that his wife and his children were all supportive of him running for president, if that was what he wanted to do. In a colorful example, he said that his wife recently woke him up at 6 a.m., telling him to go for it if he wanted to do so.
