Christie: Monday’s presidential debate won’t move voters

Gov. Chris Christie said he doesn’t think Monday’s presidential debate will determine most voters’ decision on whether to back Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton in November.

Christie, who is heading Trump’s transition effort to prepare to take office, said voters saw a “direct, spontaneous, nonpolitician” in Trump and a programmed, professional politician in Clinton.

“I don’t think the debate last night is going to move many voters,” Christie said Tuesday on New Jersey 101.5's "Ask the Governor."

Christie acknowledged that Trump rambled in the debate -- “He did. He’s not disciplined in the way a traditional politician is,” he said – and said he believes Trump will improve, though added that “I don’t think it’s possible” for him to become scripted.

“I was happy with Donald’s performance, but he can always be better,” Christie said.

Christie said he thinks voters will decide after watching all three debates. He noted the winners of the first debates in past elections were Mitt Romney in 2012, John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000 – none of whom went on to win the election.

“First debates are always the most hyped and the least dispositive,” Christie said.

Christie called debate moderate Lester Holt, the NBC News anchor, “an idiot” for saying stop-and-frisk has been deemed unconstitutional. Christie said the version used in New York under Mayor Michael Bloomberg was ruled unconstitutional but that the case was dropped on appeal but that the police strategy more generally is still permitted.

“Nobody wants Lester Holt to be a fact-checker,” Christie said.

Christie also complained that Trump’s remarks are held to a different standard than Clinton’s.

“Listen, she was calling him a racist,” Christie said. “Can you imagine if Donald Trump had said that to her last night? What the media firestorm would be? But she gets away with it.”