Christie Regrets Forgoing Mask-Wearing At WH Event After COVID-19 Hospitalization

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 26: Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (C) talks with guests in the Rose Garden after President Donald Trump introduced 7th U.S. Circuit Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett, 48, as his nom... WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 26: Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (C) talks with guests in the Rose Garden after President Donald Trump introduced 7th U.S. Circuit Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett, 48, as his nominee to the Supreme Court at the White House September 26, 2020 in Washington, DC. With 38 days until the election, Trump tapped Barrett to be his third Supreme Court nominee in just four years and to replace the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Thursday expressed regret for not wearing a mask during a White House event honoring Judge Amy Coney Barrett and during his debate preparations with President Trump, following his recent hospitalization after contracting COVID-19.

According to the New York Times on Thursday, Christie said he was “wrong” not to wear a mask at an event held in the White House Rose Garden late last month honoring Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.

Christie, who spent days in the intensive care unit of the Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey after he contracted COVID-19 at the same time others in Trump’s orbit did earlier this month, told the Times in a statement that he believed he was in a “safe zone” at the White House while there, but urged people to comply with mask wearing and social distancing.

Christie also assisted Trump in preparing for his first presidential debate against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, alongside Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

“I believed when I entered the White House grounds, that I had entered a safe zone, due to the testing that I and many others underwent every day,” Christie told the Times in a statement. “I was wrong. I was wrong not to wear a mask at the Amy Coney Barrett announcement and I was wrong not to wear a mask at my multiple debate prep sessions with the President and the rest of the team.”

Christie told the Times that he hopes his experience with COVID-19 demonstrates to the public why they should comply with CDC guidelines in public regardless of location and to wear a mask.

Contrasting Trump’s efforts to portray himself as a strongman who beat COVID-19 and departed Walter Reed following four days of treatment, Christie — who was released from the hospital last Saturday and says he has been cleared to have regular contact with others — told the Times that the novel coronavirus is “something to take very seriously” and that “the ramifications are wildly random and potentially deadly.”

According to the Times, although Christie still suffers from some fatigue, it is nowhere near the levels he experienced when he first contracted COVID-19.

The Times noted that Christie did not blame Trump — who has downplayed his COVID-19 diagnosis as “a blessing from God” following his release from Walter Reed — and admitted to having a false sense of safety due to daily COVID-19 testing requirements for everyone around the President.

“I don’t know who infected me and I don’t know how frequently he was tested,” Christie told the Times, referring to Trump.

Regarding the White House Rose Garden event for Barrett late last month, Christie told the Times that he was in the third row for the event and that attendees were told that everyone in the first three rows tested negative for COVID-19 that day.

“I shouldn’t have relied on that,” Christie told the Times.

According to the Times, Christie has not heard from the White House regarding contact-tracing, but local officials have reached out to him for those purposes.

Latest News
68
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. Yes. Like I just commented,

    The fat man sings.

  2. “A safe zone” at the White House. Based on what evidence?

  3. Not the man you thought you were?
    Nature does not respect or honor Trump or his dumb fuck followers.

  4. First off in recounting about all he got wrong Chris Christie should have included any input he had in helping prepare Trump for the debate and his responsibility for Trump’s debate performance.

    That said, that after Trump made a fool out of big fatty when immediately after the 2016 election when he fired Christie from his transition team when before the election only Christie would be part of such a team, that big fatty is still a Trump sycophant says Christie was wrong to have ever been born.

  5. “I don’t know who infected me and I don’t know how frequently he was tested,” Christie told the Times, referring to Trump.

    Hmmm… the object of the first clause sure sounds like it is the “he” in the second clause. Sometimes one’s grammar gives things away that one doesn’t mean to say.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

62 more replies

Participants

Avatar for bdtex Avatar for xpurg8d Avatar for pluckyinky Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for pac Avatar for silas1898 Avatar for pyanfar Avatar for chelsea530 Avatar for psyclone Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for drriddle Avatar for bonvivant Avatar for ignoreland Avatar for dlnyc Avatar for tao Avatar for serendipitoussomnambulist Avatar for pshah Avatar for masslass Avatar for eddycollins Avatar for skeptical Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for mtw Avatar for VeganMilitia Avatar for LeeHarveyGriswold

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: