'This Week' Transcript 11-26-23: White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Rep. Ro Khanna and Former Governor Chris Christie
Interview
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I think it does make a difference, Jon, and I can tell you from the turnout we have been having at our town hall meetings just in the last two weeks, we see people really starting to engage. You've seen our numbers go up over the last two weeks in the polls in New Hampshire.
And last week, right before Thanksgiving, we had a joint town hall in Nashua with Governor Sununu. And it was a standing-room-only crowd, completely packed the room. I had people standing three rows deep in the back.
I do think that those polling numbers are correct in this way -- I think people are just starting to engage even in a place like New Hampshire. You know, I really see people now finally starting to dig in, figure out who they think is saying the things that they want to hear, and telling the truth to the voters of New Hampshire. I think that's going to make a huge difference.
And so, look, you look at those numbers. John McCain was in third place at this point in 2007 going into the '08 primary. That's exactly where I am, and we think we're going to have a very similar result.
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Jon, look, I've spent the majority of my time going after the guy who's in first place. I'm going after Donald Trump.
And all I point out about Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley is they're not going to after Trump, and I don't understand why they're spending time going after each other and not going after Trump.
If all three of us would go after Donald Trump, well, then the most credible amongst the three of us in terms of those critiques would wind up winning -- winning this primary, I believe. And so, we need to all be talking about the guy who's in first place.
You know, I don't understand. I'm not playing for second place here, Jon. I'm playing to win, and that's why my campaign from the beginning has been that way.
And look, Governor Haley has said things like she thought he was the right president at the right time. She's also said that she'd be inclined to pardon him. Ron DeSantis has had, you know, a lot of glowing things to say about Donald Trump over time.
I think we need to focus on who's in front here, who's bad for our party, and who would be bad for this country. And in my view, that's Donald Trump and we need to go directly at him and that's why you're seeing people in increasing numbers come to our town hall meetings in New Hampshire, go to Chrischristie.com and donating. They're doing the things that we see.
And the week after the last debate, Jon, we had our best fund-raising week of the entire year. So things are really starting to pick up for us, and I think people are starting to focus, and that's why.
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I don't care.
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I don't care, Jon. No.
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Look, no one will expect him to concede. He hasn't conceded the 2020 election. Who cares?
The secretary of state of New Hampshire will certify the votes. You'll get the delegates per the RNC rules, and we'll move on to the next race. I don't suspect he'll ever concede, he's ever lost any election --
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-- even though he lost primaries in 2016 to Ted Cruz, and he'll lose primaries this time as well.
But it doesn't matter, Jon. In the end, the rules will govern here just as the rules governed in 2020, and he moved out of the White House and Joe Biden is sleeping in the White House tonight.
I don't want that to continue after January 20th of 2025. That's why I intend to beat Donald Trump and beat Joe Biden.
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I think the public en mass will begin to ignore a four-time loser like Donald Trump, if he loses this set of primaries. You know, he lost in 2018 in the House, he lost in 2020, in the Senate and in the White House. And in 2022, he led us to more losses in the governorships and in the Senate, and if he loses in 2024 will be a four-time loser. I think he'll go back to Mar-a-Lago. He'll continue to carp and moan and complain and say we don't deserve him. Anything that gets him out of this race, and, and what keeps him out of the White House is fine by me.
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Our next two focuses Jon will be South Carolina and Michigan. And we believe in both of those states, we can do quite well. We've already been on the ground in South Carolina a number of times in this campaign, and we're getting ready to start going to Michigan.
But right now, it -- and 58 days to go until the New Hampshire primary. We are going to focus most of our time and energy on the state of New Hampshire because we believe that New Hampshire has a long history of determining who the nominee of the party will be. We intend to be the guy who surprises everybody in that race on January 23.
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