Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie stated he would neither abolish nor reform the FBI if he were to become president, despite recent criticisms that the agency has politicized its criminal justice activities.
Many feel the FBI has gone from being a criminal justice agency to a political retaliation agency working in coordination with the federal government for political agendas.
“If I told you 22 years ago tonight that there would not be another foreign terrorist attack on this soil for 22 years, no one would’ve believed me,” Christie said. “But it is the work of the men and women at the FBI and our intelligence agencies and our law enforcement agencies in the states that have made that a reality.”
Christie praised the FBI’s work in preventing foreign terrorist attacks on U.S. soil for the past 22 years. He attributed the absence of such incidents to the efforts of the FBI, intelligence agencies, and state law enforcement.
“The FBI does extraordinary work in this country,” Christie said, acknowledging the political scrutiny the agency has faced due to recent prosecutions and investigations.
While supporting the FBI, Christie criticized the Department of Homeland Security. He said the department was hastily assembled following the events that took place 22 years ago and has been poorly executed since its inception.
“I was in law enforcement at the time, and I’m telling you, every one of the people who are in the Department of Homeland Security don’t want to be there. It was a bad idea at the time. It’s been poorly executed, and we need to completely revamp it,” Christie concluded.
Christie’s comments shed light on his perspective toward U.S. security agencies, a topic that continues to be a point of discussion and debate in political circles.