Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland: I Officially and Enthusiastically Support My Friend Chris Christie for President

Gov. Hogan: I Officially and Enthusiastically Support My Friend Chris Christie for President

Transcript

GOVERNOR HOGAN: Thank you very much for coming. It’s really my pleasure to welcome Governor Chris Christie back to Maryland for, I think, the seventh time in less than a year. This is the first time he’s been here as an announced candidate for President. And I’m going to cut right to the chase and let you know that my - primary mission here today is to officially, and enthusiastically endorse Governor Chris Christie for President. I happen to believe that he’s exactly the leader that we need. I think that he should be the next President. And I think he will be the next President. And I’m going to do everything in my power to help make that happen. We’re going to work hard for him here in Maryland and any place else that he needs help from us. We’ll go anywhere and do anything. I believe that, you know – first of all just let me on a personal note talk about – I would not be Governor of Maryland if it were not for this guy right here. When nobody believed in our race, he came in here four different times during the campaign and really pushed us over the top. Then he came and spoke at my inaugural, and did a great job. And I’ll say this, when the riots broke out in Baltimore City, right after I made my state of emergency address, the very first call I got was from Chris Christie, who offered me all kinds of great advice. A couple of weeks ago when I announced that I had cancer, one of the first calls I got was Chris Christie. He’s been in communication with me almost everyday. And I was amazed, as I was in the hospital getting chemotherapy, I get a text from him, he says, I’m on my way to my announcement and I’m thinking of you and praying for you. So he’s a tremendous friend. A guy I have a tremendous amount of respect for. But that’s not the only reason why I am endorsing him. I’m endorsing him because I think he did a great job as the Governor of New Jersey. I think we need a real leader. It has to be a Governor. I think those folks in Washington have messed everything up. I have a lot of great friends that are running for President. I know every one of these guys on the Republican side, and I like a lot of them. But I can tell you, that in my opinion, there’s nobody that has the strength of character, the strength of leadership, the guy whose honest, who tells it like it is, which is the thing I love about him. People say that I’m pretty blunt, and I always say exactly what I think. Well, that’s probably why we are kindred spirits, because he does the same thing. Most politicians don’t do that. So without further a due. I just wanted to say I’m extremely excited about the prospect of Chris Christie as the next President of the United States. Thank you, Governor.

CHRIS CHRISTIE: Well, it is great to be back in Maryland and great to be here with your Governor. I will tell you that I have never been prouder than I was watching Governor Hogan in the hours and days after the problems in Baltimore. It reinforced every instinct that I had about what kind of leader he would be if Maryland gave him the chance to be Governor. He left Annapolis, he went on the scene in Baltimore, he worked with all the different community groups, with law enforcement, with everybody that needed the leadership then, to know that Baltimore was going to work it’s way back to be the great city that it is. And that’s one thing that he’s accomplished already in six months as Governor of Maryland. Restoring fiscal stability to the state, and making people feel proud again. The fact that they have a Governor who is willing to stand up for them. It was great, walking through this diner we had a couple whose small business owners who say to him, Governor Hogan we are small business owners, thank you, you have already helped us. That’s the reason that I came here to help and support Governor Hogan back last year, because I knew what kind of Governor he would be. And that’s why I am so honored today to have his support and his endorsement. It makes a difference, it makes a real difference when those people that have the same job you have, who face the same kinds of challenges, look at you and say that they think that you have the leadership capabilities and the ideas to help to lead our country. And so I’m extraordinarily honored to have Larry’s support, to have his endorsement. And we’re going to work hard together to bring this message across the entire country. On a personal note, from me and from Mary Pat. You’ve watched the real courage that he has shown as he is facing his own personal challenges. And never once complaining about anything. You know, he says I texted him on the way to my announcement, I did because I was thinking of him. He’s in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy, he’s texting back right back, like right back with his ideas, with his encouragement, with his support. This is somebody who the people in Maryland are getting to know even better. And you do get to know people even better when they are under real challenge. And so I have complete confidence in the fact that he will take this on like he’s taken on every challenge in his life. And I’m not giving him any time off. We’re going to work across the country together to bring our message. And we are looking forward to bringing a greater sense of leadership and purpose to this country. And we need it very, very badly right now. And so I thank Larry for his support, and I think we are available to take a few questions if you have them.