On Tuesday morning, The View’s “conservative” co-host Nicolle Wallace gave a ringing endorsement for Governor Chris Christie (R-N.J.) should he decide to run for president in 2016. Unfortunately for the New Jersey governor, her reasons for supporting him probably won’t help him win over many Republican primary voters.
During a discussion about Chris Christie’s 2016 prospects, Wallace eagerly threw her hat in for the New Jersey Republican and proclaimed that “his politics are an interesting and progressive and modern swath of the country and I’d like to see him in.”
The segment began with a discussion of Governor Christie’s weight loss surgery which lead Wallace to declare to be a “big fan of Chris Christie.”
The View co-host continued her praise of Christie:
I hail from his wing of the Republican Party as a party leader. But even for those who don’t, I think all Republicans should want our field to be as populated as possible and we should want somebody, we should be ruling people in, not out. So I was heartened by this news.
As the segment concluded, Whoopi Goldberg and Nicolle Wallace looked into the camera and begged Christie to appear as a guest on their show but not before Wallace enthusiastically told Christie to “run” for president in 2016.
Unsurprisingly, the so-called “conservative” voice on The View has been criticized for her propensity to criticize Republicans rather than defend them. Wallace recently touted Obama as being “deadly serious” about going to war against ISIS and on Monday she attacked Sarah Palin and eagerly defended Hillary Clinton against allegations of sexism directed at the former Secretary of State.
See relevant transcript below.
ABC’s The View
September 23, 2014
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Hey, New Jersey governor Chris Christie who is not a male gynecologist—
NICOLLE WALLACE: I was wondering how you were going to do that.
GOLDBERG: Yeah, it’s the only way to do that. He was at a GOP fundraiser over the weekend showing off his new look after dropping 85 pounds thanks to lap band surgery.
WALLACE: Looks good.
GOLDBERG: Yeah.
WALLACE: Give it up. That’s hard. 85 pounds.
GOLDBERG: I'm glad to see that he has addressed it. Because you know, when the first person who said to him you know you are too heavy he got very offended by this.
WALLACE: Exactly. It was someone who wasn't his doctor. And he said you're not my doctor, you don't know about my health. But I think if you're going to run for president it's all of our business about his health. Because the first thing we need our president to do is have the stamina for the job. The stress alone will kill you. It turns every president gray.
ROSIE PEREZ: Look at Obama’s hair.
WALLACE: So, I think it’s important. And listen Republicans. I’m a big fan. I'm a big fan of Chris Christie.
GOLDBERG: Do you live in Jersey?
WALLACE: I don't. But I hail from his wing of the Republican Party as a party leader. But even for those who don’t, I think all Republicans should want our field to be as populated as possible and we should want somebody, we should be ruling people in, not out. So I was heartened by this news.
ROSIE O’DONNELL: Yeah, I was upset he chose that kind. Because the lap band is sort of an antiquated way for weight loss surgery. You know, in half of the cases it has to be removed because the body rejects foreign objects in it.WALLACE: Hasn’t it happened by now though? Hasn't he had it in?
O’DONNELL: No, he's had it since I had mine.
WALLACE: Oh.
O’DONNELL: Because I was at my weight loss doctor and he said to me why do you think he chose that? I said I don't know, maybe he didn't do the research. It's a very inefficient way. There are other ways now to do it that you can Google yourself and find what works for you. But I was curious as to why he chose that.
GOLDBERG: Well maybe he'll come on. Chris is an interesting cat. I don't know if I want him as president. I know I want him
WALLACE: Do you want him to run? Do you want to see it?
GOLDBERG: I want to see -- I just want to see somebody who is not yelling and pissed off and saying if you're not this, you're not American, if you don't believe -- I mean—
WALLACE: He’s from Jersey so he yells sometimes. But I think that's a Jersey thing. But I think its politics.
GOLDBERG: It's not a Jersey thing.
WALLACE: It's a Chris thing.
GOLDBERG: It’s a Chris thing yeah. It’s okay.
WALLACE: But I think his politics are an interesting and Progressive and modern swath of the country and I’d like to see him in.
GOLDBERG: Everybody look in the camera. Chris Christie—
WALLACE: Run.
GOLDBERG: We're asking you to come on The View and talk to us. We’re asking you to come on.
