Gov. Chris Christie on Sunday defended a 180-degree turn from his primary presidential campaign position that it made no "sense" to build a wall across the entire southern border and then demand that Mexico pay for it.
In an interview on CBS News' "Face the Nation," the New Jersey Republican said there was nothing surprising about his July 2015 stance.
"I disagreed with Donald Trump at the time," he said. "Big shock, I was running against him… Of course I disagreed because I was running against him."
"A lot of people, myself included, have lost betting against Donald Trump," he added. "And I think he's going to be a very good negotiator for the American people. Not only on this issue, but on trade deals that will help improve our economy to make the world safer and more secure."
Christie also pushed back on the suggestion Trump was sending a "mixed message" to Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto by saying last Friday the issue of paying for the border wall wasn't discussed at their meeting, then assuring a Phoenix rally later the same day that Mexico will pay for it.
It's "going to have to be topic of further discussion going forward," Christie said of financing issues.
"But I think what Donald is doing, being very candid with the American people about this, is one of the areas where [Trump and Peña Nieto] disagree. This is the kind of transparency you get from Donald Trump as opposed to what you get from Hillary Clinton, who hasn't had a press conference in nearly 10 months."
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