Christie on debates: I’m not one of the complainers

Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) said Monday that the GOP’s 2016 presidential field is wasting time by arguing about the party’s televised debates.

“I’m not one of the complainers about this,” he said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

{mosads}“Debates are about seeing how someone performs under pressure [and] seeing if they can think on their feet,” Christie said.

“Put podiums up there, get whoever three moderators you want and ask whatever questions you want,” the Republican White House hopeful added.

“If I can’t handle that, I can’t handle [Democratic presidential front-runner] Hillary Clinton.” 

Christie admitted that the event in Boulder, Colo. was messy. But he argued he is not surprised by how it unfolded.

“It was craziness up there,” he said of the GOP’s third presidential debate. “Everyone was jumping in.

“Are we shocked that [CNBC] moderator John Harwood is biased?” Christie asked. “I’m not saying he’s always wrong, [but] if you don’t like my answer, then there’s the discretion of the moderator to follow up.

“He wouldn’t let me finish my answers before he followed up,” the New Jersey governor said.

Multiple Republican White House hopefuls expressed dissatisfaction with last week’s debate following its conclusion.

Read more from The Hill: 

GOP campaigns move to seize control of debate process

GOP assigns staffer to handle debates, networks

RNC pulls out of NBC debate