7:50 p.m. ET, January 5, 2024
Christie reacts to Supreme Court's announcement that it will review Colorado Trump decision
From CNN's Ali Main
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie speaks during a town hall in Keene, New Hampshire, on Friday, January 5.
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Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie reacted on Friday to the US Supreme Court's announcement that it will review the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to
remove former President Donald Trump from that state’s ballot, telling New Hampshire voters that "it's not the job of the nine members of the Supreme Court to keep our republic. It's ours."
The former federal prosecutor reiterated his view at a town hall in Keene that there are "good legal arguments" as to why Trump doesn't qualify to be on state ballots, but he hopes the court doesn't kick Trump off "because it's our responsibility, not the nine Justices of the Supreme Court."
Christie recalled founding father Benjamin Franklin's words that the United States is "a republic, if you can keep it."
"This is the moment. A republic, if you can keep it. It's not the job of the nine members of the Supreme Court to keep our republic. It's ours. It's our republic, it's our job. And for better or for worse for all of you, it's your job," Christie said.
Christie brought up Trump's comment that
he would be a dictator only on the first day of his presidency, and told the room of New Hampshire voters "you voted for him in '16," prompting one voter to call out "no, we didn't."
"Unfortunately, you're saddled with it, babe, you're saddled with it," Christie responded, continuing to detail Trump's winning record in past New Hampshire primaries.
"You vote for him in 24 ... Live Free or Die sounds like bull to me. Right? Because this guy doesn't want you to have freedom," he said.
Christie called Trump angry, bitter and "backward looking," warning that he will "continue to be even worse."
"If you want to try to turn that page, it's not going to fix itself. We have to fix it. The Supreme Court's not going to come in and save us. We're gonna have to save ourselves," he said.