Christie: Bridgegate, Hurricane Have Made Me a 'Better Person'

Sen. Rand Paul should be "in front of hearings in front of Congress if there's another [terrorist] attack" after his push to end the federal government's collection of telephone metadata, Gov. Chris Christie said Monday.

"People are really worried about ISIS, they're worried about the threat of terrorism, and that's why what Rand Paul has done to make this country weaker and more vulnerable is a terrible thing," the New Jersey Republican said of the Kentucky senator on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "And for him to raise money off of it? It's disgraceful."

Story continues below video.

Monday's barbs against Paul weren't Christie's first in recent days. On "Fox News Sunday," the governor, like Paul a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, defended the bulk metadata collection program, and said Paul's push has weakened national security.

Christie, who also appeared on CBS and Fox News on Monday, and spoke out on Fox News' "America's Newsroom" program against Donald Trump's statements on Mexican immigrants.

"I think it was wrong [and] it doesn't have any place in the primary," said Christie, while also attacking Ted Cruz for his "lectures on Republican on Republican violence," noting that the Texas senator was behind political advertisements that attacked Sen. Lamar Alexander.

"I don't need to be lectured by Ted Cruz," Christie said, telling host Bill Hemmer that he comes from "the most ethnically diverse state in the union, New Jersey" and knows "how to discuss these issues and listen to the Latino community in our country about what they care about."

Story continues below video.

He also railed on the Fox program about President Barack Obama's lack of strategy against the Islamic State (ISIS).

"With ISIS in particular we need to train our allies down to the battalion level and let them lead the fight with American support," he said. "The president doesn't have a strategy and if you don't have a strategy you can't win on anything."

Meanwhile, he told "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough that he's not worried about the wide slate of candidates, as "I'll always get attention."

He's also not concerned about the "Bridgegate" scandal, he said, because people on the campaign trail don't care.

"The only people up in New Hampshire who ask about it is the press who follow me up to New Hampshire," Christie said. "Nobody cares," as there have been three independent investigations that back up what he said the very day the story broke of the ordered lane closures on the George Washington Bridge into New York.

"At some point people just say well, you know, after three investigations, two of them run by folks who were Democrats ... they say OK, I guess he's telling the truth."

However, Christie says the years and issues over Bridgegate and the massive destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy have just made him stronger and more humble.

"How couldn't you be after you go through that?" he said. "Otherwise, you're just stupid."

Now, he says he recognizes that when mistakes are made, you know who your friends are and you learn to be accountable.

"I'm better because I've been through a really awful time," said Christie. "I'm upright ... everyone's going to have the moments in their life. Everyone has them. Do you go in the fetal position and stay in bed, or do you get up and do your job and decide how to win people's trust and confidence? That's what I'm trying to do."

On the CBS program, Christie urged Obama to walk away from nuclear talks with Iran.

"The largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world is moving toward a nuclear weapon with the permission of the United States. It's outrageous," Christie told the "CBS This Morning" program. "You wouldn't buy a car this way, let alone have nuclear talks this way. You can't look like you want the car that much, and the president cares much more about his legacy now and having ... his signature on some kind of agreement with Iran than whether it's a good agreement for the country and for the world."

He added, "This is a bad thing for the president and I think he should just get smart about this, walk away from the table."

After that, Christie called for enacting heavy sanctions, which will bring Iran back to the table "knowing that America will not sign a bad deal for the United States and for the rest of the world."

If an agreement is signed, he is not inclined to undo it should he be elected, Christie said. "But I think it's irresponsible to say I absolutely wouldn't. It's not a good deal and I suspect that any American president would want to figure out a way to walk away from a bad deal."