Christie: Debate demotion has increased donations to campaign

Gov. Chris Christie (R) is not discouraged by not being on the main stage at Tuesday's Republican presidential debate and said the decision has helped with donations to his campaign.

"There are a lot of people out there who disagree with what (Fox Business Channel) did, and we've been getting more donations in the last week than we got in the week before, because people feel like we're getting a raw deal," Christie told host Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. Christie admits he'd rather be on the main stage but will "keep saying what I mean and meaning what I say" in the preliminary debate in Milwaukee.

Christie also downplayed his low national poll numbers, citing his strengths in recent New Hampshire and Iowa polls. "We feel great momentum in New Hampshire and Iowa, both. Our numbers tripled in Iowa. Our numbers have quadrupled in New Hampshire," said Christie, referring to a poll by Boston public radio station WBUR  giving him 8% among NH voters and 3% in Iowa according to a CNN poll.

Christie also elaborated on a video of him talking about helping those with addiction problems and not just putting them in jail, comparing the attitude towards those with addiction to how his mother was treated when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. "No one said don't treat her, she’s getting what she deserves. We need to think differently about this."

He also called President Obama a "radical environmental liberal" for rejecting the Keystone pipeline on Friday and vowed to build it if elected "if the Canadians are still interested."