As part of his latest book, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie advises Republicans to move beyond Donald Trump and conspiracy theorists, but also gives advice on how to deal with liberal media bias. This was too much for MSNBC's Deadline: White House host Nicolle Wallace on Tuesday as she wondered how Christie could complain about bias when Fox News exists, at one point comparing the fight against Fox to ... counterterrorism. (Wallace trended on Twitter for that piece of genius.)
Towards the end of a long discussion about the book, Wallace inquired, "You take on the media and I'm in the media so I read that section carefully, but you know, the book is called, it's about conspiracies and lies and you really don't take on Fox News. Why not?"
Before Christie could even get off a complete answer, Wallace interrupted for the first of many times, and demanded to know what Christie thinks of Tucker Carlson. After Christie said he doesn't watch his show, Wallace again observed that "It's a book with truth deniers, conspiracy theorists on the cover and you attack CNN and the New York Times and MSNBC, and not Fox?"
Christie responded by accusing Wallace of misrepresenting the book, "Excuse me, I don’t attack them conspiracy theorists or truth deniers. I talk about bias. I talk about bias…" Wallace interrupted to ridicule the idea, "Is bias more dangerous to the country than conspiracy theorists?"
Ever the book salesman, Christie said no, but that talk about QAnon and other related foolishness was in a separate section of the book. That was not good enough for Wallace, who retorted, "I don't think it's an intellectually honest case to make against conspiracy theories I without taking on Fox News."
A few minutes later, Wallace was still not prepared to let the matter go, "I don't know how you talk about liars and conspiracy theorists without talking about Fox News. I was a Republican, I think they've done more damage to the party than anything else."
This time, Christie got more firm, "I'm sure you do, but if we want to go through that, I think there are liars and conspiracy theorists on MSNBC and on CNN also so maybe I’ll write a book on all that, but that's not what this book is about. In that section of the book, I'm talking to Republicans about the way, I believe, we need to deal with media to be most effective for winning."
Wallace then brought out her terrorism analogy, "But do you want to solve them is my question. If you want you want to solve the proliferation of conspiracy theories without dealing with Fox News, it's like solving terrorism without dealing with the terrorists."
Christie shot back, calling the analogy "irresponsible" as Wallace defended herself, "I’m not analogizing, I was talking about root problems."
If Christie ever were to write that book about mainstream media conspiracy theorists, he would not have a problem with a shortage of material.
This segment was sponsored by Wayfair.
Here is a transcript for the November 16 show:
MSNBC
Deadline: White House
4:49 PM ET
NICOLLE WALLACE: You take on the media and I'm in the media so I read that section carefully, but you know, the book is called, it's about conspiracies and lies and you really don't take on Fox News. Why not?
CHRIS CHRISTIE: Look, because the book…WALLACE: Have you seen the Tucker Carlson program?
CHRISTIE: because the book-- no, I don't watch it, but the book…
WALLACE: Are you aware of what he does?
CHRISTIE: Not really. I don’t pay a lot of attention to it.
WALLACE: It's a book with truth deniers, conspiracy theorists on the cover and you attack CNN and the "New York Times" and MSNBC, and not Fox?
CHRISTIE: Excuse me, I don’t attack them conspiracy theorists or truth deniers. I talk about bias. I talk about bias…
WALLACE: Is bias more dangerous to the country than conspiracy theorists?
CHRISTIE: No, but that's the third section of the book…WALLACE: I read it
CHRISTIE: … where I talk about the movement forward. In the center portion of the book, we talk about the conspiracy theories and the truth denying that went on with things like QAnon, Pizza-gate, the election situation, John Birch Society, and that's what I talk about. These two sections of the book and I'm sure, accidentally, you're conflating them.
WALLACE: I’m not conflating them
CHRISTIE: You are
WALLACE: I don't think it's an intellectually honest case to make against conspiracy theories I without taking on Fox News.
…
WALLACE: So you may or may not support Donald Trump in 2024…CHRISTIE: No, I…
WALLACE: …You may or may not run for president and a book about liars and conspiracy theorists doesn't have anything to say about Fox News?
CHRISTIE: No, the book talks about it. You continue to conflate it.
WALLACE: I don't know how you talk about liars and conspiracy theorists without talking about Fox News. I was a Republican, I think they've done more damage to the party than anything else.
CHRISTIE: I'm sure you do, but if we want to go through that, I think there are liars and conspiracy theorists on MSNBC and on CNN also so maybe I’ll write a book on all that, but that's not what this book is about. In that section of the book, I'm talking to Republicans about the way, I believe, we need to deal with media to be most effective for winning. The conspiracy theorists and truth deniers, which nobody else on either side of the aisle is writing about right now other than me. No one else is writing about that.
WALLACE: But do you want to solve them is my question. If you want you want to solve the proliferation of conspiracy theories without dealing with Fox News, it's like solving terrorism without dealing with the terrorists.
CHRISTIE: Well look, that's your opinion, I disagree with your opinion and I don’t believe and I think it's irresponsible, Nicolle, to analogize Fox News to terrorists. And, by the way.
WALLACE: I’m not analogizing, I was talking about root problems.CHRISTIE: No, no, you just did. You just did
WALLACE: You write about being a prosecutor. I want to understand what your solution is to the title of the book, it's about truth deniers and conspiracy theorists. How do we purge the truth deniers and conspiracy theorists from the party?
CHRISTIE: From our party and it's by telling the truth to our voters.
WALLACE: Where?CHRISTIE: To our voters
WALLACE: Where do you do that?
CHRISTIE: Right in my book. Go buy it, go buy it, it's on sale today.
WALLACE: No, but where do you go—my question is where do you tell this, where do you do it. You do it in speeches? You do it, where do you do it?
CHRISTIE: Sure, I did it at the Reagan Library in SeptemberWALLACE: I saw your speech at the Reagan--
CHRISTIE: I did it at the Republican Jewish Coalition…
WALLACE: I saw it, I saw it
CHRISTIE: … just this past week. Every other place that I go, I will be talking about the fact that the Republican Party must once again be the party of truth. And if we do that, then we have a chance to be winning party again and if we don't, then we're going to be consigned to what happened to our party in the '30s when Herbert Hoover lost the House, the Senate and the White House. The only other time it's happened in the Republican Party history and then we were out of the White House for 28 of the next 36 years. I don't want to see that happen in our country and so that's why I'm speaking out and I can't be responsible for everybody else, Nicolle…
WALLACE: I hear you.
CHRISTIE: I can be responsible for myself and that's what I'm doing by writing this book and by coming out and talking to you about it even in a place where I may not be completely welcome.
WALLACE: I appreciate that and I think you are a straight shooter.
