Christie: Trump’s call to ban Muslims is ‘not how you protect the country’ (VIDEO)

Front-running Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump did not back down Tuesday from his call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. He told CNN that he was doing what was right and he didn’t care that fellow GOP candidates are rejecting his position. Tuesday night on Townsquare Media’s Ask The Governor program, Gov. Chris Christie offered his opinion.

Christie said banning an entire group of people is not the way to keep America safe.

"His proposal is banning all Muslims. All. no matter where you come from and so all I've said is it's the difference between someone who has experience protecting America and someone who doesn't," Christie said during the program.

The ban that was proposed by Trump would apply to immigrants and visitors. He said after last month’s attacks in Paris by Muslim extremists and the recent mass shootings in San Bernardino, the ban is justified.

"We should be supporting our intelligence and law enforcement officers to keep us safe," Christie said on Ask the Governor. "You don't do it by banning a group of people from our country.

For the most part, Christie and Trump had been avoiding criticizing one another since they both became presidential candidates, but that changed recently. Early Monday, Christie said Trump’s Muslim ban was the type of thing someone with no experience would propose. Monday night in South Carolina, Trump told a group of supporters that Christie almost surely knew about the lanes closures at the George Washington Bridge while it was happening. The closures led to the so-called Bridgegate scandal that continues to dog Christie.

It is not as though Christie hasn’t proposed a ban of his own in the recent past. On Nov. 17, 2015, Christie sent a letter to President Barack Obama. He wrote that keeping New Jersey safe is his number one priority and the state would no longer accept Syrian refugees.

"I write to inform you that I will not accept any refugees from Syria in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Paris," wrote Christie.

Kevin McArdle has covered the State House for New Jersey 101.5 news since 2002. Contact him at kevin.mcardle@townsquaremedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @kevinmcardle1.