MSNBC anchor Mika Brzezinski pressed Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie on Thursday over his views on abortion, arguing the former New Jersey governor was not “being honest” about the issue in a heated exchange.
Taking aim at Christie’s comments during Wednesday night’s GOP primary debate about abortion happening in the ninth month in his home state of New Jersey, Brzezinski said, “It doesn’t happen, less than 1 percent of abortions are performed after 21 weeks. And if there is a situation like that, it’s because there was a massive emergency.”
“So I just think of all the candidates you’ve been the most honest about Trump and election integrity,” Brzezinski continued. “But in this one respect, I have to call you out because you’re not being honest on the issue.”
Christie shot back at Brzezinski, arguing she is “the one who’s not being honest.”
“I did not say there was abortion in the ninth month, what I said was that the law in New Jersey and New York and Illinois and California permits it, and you can’t deny that’s the truth because it is,” Christie said.
Brzezinski interjected Christie, saying, “It doesn’t happen, Chris.”
“And so look, don’t call someone else a liar,” Christie responded, to which Brzezinski shot back, “I’m not calling you a liar … it’s not honest … let’s have an honest discussion about the issue.”
“Well, let’s have an honest discussion about the issue,” Christie responded as Brzezinski interjected again, “But it doesn’t happen.”
“Why don’t you answer my question? Does the law permit it in those states? Well that’s all I said so I don’t understand what your problem is with that,” Christie continued, as Brzezinski appeared to shake her head.
Brzezinski then argued Christie is “painting a picture” on the issue of abortion that “is not honest.”
Christie continued to try to interrupt, but Brzezinski continued, “And this is a health issue, and there are women in extreme situations who need health care, and they should get it. We can debate that. And there are not women in the state trancing into doctor’s offices asking for abortions in the ninth month, it doesn’t happen.”
“You can continue to set up that straw man for yourself to knock it down because you’re mischaracterizing what I said,” Christie answered. “I am giving you the state of the law, and the state of the law in those states are that you could go into a doctor’s office and do it, and that’s all I said, but look, you know, this is something that you want to emphasize, I get it. I understand the politics of it; that’s fine, but it’s not going to change my analysis.”
“It’s not politics. It’s really personal actually for women,” Brzezinski shot back. “You’re the one who’s going to lose on this issue if you’re not honest about it.”
The back-and-forth continued for a few more moments, before Christie told Brzezinski to not “mess with me on the law,” to which the MSNBC anchor said, “Don’t mess with me on how women feel about using the nine-month argument on the issue.”
The exchange came just hours after Christie, along with four other GOP rivals, clashed over the issue of abortion on the debate stage in Miami.
Christie said during the debate that the issue should be left to the states, avoiding the question over whether Congress should consider a 15-week abortion ban at a federal level. Earlier this year, he suggested Americans shouldn’t worry about a possible federal abortion ban if he were elected president.