Anti-Trump Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie faced fire after declaring he does not support banning children from undergoing life-altering trans surgeries and taking puberty blockers.
Christie made the remarks during an appearance on CNN when host Jake Tapper asked him what he thought about Republican governors doing “the opposite” of what Christie did while he was governor of New Jersey.
“What I believe we should be focused on, most importantly, in these issues is making sure there is parental involvement at every step along the way,” Christie said.
“I don’t think that the government should ever be stepping into the place of the parents in helping to move their children through a process where those children are confused or concerned about their gender,” he added.
“And I just would say that parents are the people who are best positioned to make these judgments,” Christie continued.
“And so what I’d like to make sure each state does is require that parents be involved in these decisions.”
“We were talking about students. I assume you mean people under the age of 18,” he continued. “And the fact is that folks who are under the age of 18 should have parental support and guidance and love as they make all of the key decisions of their life.”
“And this should not be one that’s excluded by the government in any way,” he concluded.
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Christie faced brutal backlash online from conservative pundits and commentators for his comments on trans surgeries for kids.
“Chris Christie is running as the stalking horse of the Bulwark and professional NeverTrumpers, who want to turn the clock back to 2012,” Varad Mehta tweeted.
“The minute he acknowledges the realities of conservatism in 2023, he’ll get nasty phone calls from Bill Kristol and David French. So he won’t,” Varad Mehta added.
John R Lott Jr., president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, tweeted:
“Christie can possibly reach the 1% threshold in national surveys to be included in the national Republican debates. But if anyone thinks he can win the Republican nomination, especially with views like this, they don’t know Republican primary voters.”
Tim Pool tweeted, “Chris Christie is pro child sex change.”
“Chris Christie comes out as the pro-child groomer candidate, completely ignoring the fact that kids are groomed into being confused about their gender,” writer Ian Miles Cheong added.
“Absolutely disgusting.”
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