New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) traveled this week to Sioux City,Iowa to speak at a fundraiser for Rep. Steve King (R). The following is a statement from Lynn Tramonte, Deputy Director ofAmerica’s Voice:
“This is Governor Christie’s first mistake of the 2016 campaign. Instead of taking a page from Jeb Bush’s upcoming book, he’s following the Romney strategy: double down on extremism early on, and box yourself in for the general election.
“Steve King is one of the loudest and lewdest voices on immigration in the Republican Party—and a big reason why the GOP is doing so poorly with Latinos. This is a man who compared immigrants to dogs and cattle, and suggested that we use an electrified fence to wall off the country. This is a man who denigrated diversity, anddefended Todd Akin’s attacks on women. King’s big mouth has put his congressional seat in jeopardy, despite a sizable Republican registration advantage, and even the National Republican Congressional Committee is getting worried.
“The sad fact is that Gov. Christie should know better than to embrace anti-immigration policies and politicians. In fact, most Iowa Republican caucus-goersactually hold more sensible views on immigration reform than Steve King.
“If Christie does become a presidential contender in 2016 or beyond, he’s going to want to burn all those photos with Rep. King. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”
