New Jersey Governor and GOP presidential hopeful Chris Christie has drawn the ire of #BlackLivesMatter activists by openly refusing to speak with leaders of the movement. Christie took the “All Lives Matter” stance during a campaign stop in Iowa on Wednesday.
Christie was in Bettendorf, Iowa Wednesday at Micky’s Country Cafe for a packed town hall meeting. Christie has been enjoying success in the state after a campaign stump speech video detailing the loss of a close friend went viral. Christie turned the rally in his favor by espousing his normally strong conservative views and attacks on Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
But it was Christie’s words regarding the Black Lives Matter movement that seemed to garner the most attention of late. Christie seized in on a question regarding the activist group and Clinton’s willingness to meet with them.
More from the New Jersey Star-Ledger:
Later in the town hall, when a mother of two police officers asked about how Christie would support law enforcement, the governor let loose fiery attack on the Black Lives Matter movement in general and in particular, on Clinton’s willingness to meet with representatives of it.
“I think all lives matter,” said Christie, who was standing in a cafe where a lever-action rifle hung inside its entrance with the words “We Don’t Dial 911” above it.
“But let me tell you this: When a movement like that calls for the murder of police officers…no President of the United States should dignify a group like that by saying anything positive about them, and no candidate for president, like Hillary Clinton, should give them any credibility by meeting with them, as she’s done.”
Last month, Clinton had met privately with members of the Black Lives Matter movement while in Washington D.C. for the National Council of Negro Women.
Christie vowed never to do so.
“I want the Black Lives Matter people to understand: Don’t call me for a meeting. You’re not getting one.”
Deray McKesson, one of the leading young activists on the scene, responded in brief to Christie’s statements that was retweeted over 1,000 times.
Looks like it’s your move, Gov. Christie.
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Photo: Michael Vadon/CC By SA-2.0
