New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday that he has changed his mind about guns and supports making it easier for residents to obtain concealed-carry licenses.
Appearing on Fox News’ “Hannity,” the Republican presidential candidate explained that his years as a federal prosecutor shaped his transformation. In the mid-1990s, he supported New Jersey’s semi-automatic weapons ban.
“Well, listen, in 1995, Sean, I was 32 years old, and I’ve changed my mind,” Mr. Christie told Sean Hannity, Politico reported. “And the biggest reason that I changed my mind was my seven years as a federal prosecutor. What I learned in those seven years was that we were spending much too much time talking about gun laws against law-abiding citizens and not nearly enough time talking about enforcing the gun laws strongly against criminals.”
In announcing his state Senate bid in 1993, Mr. Christie said the issue that energized him to get into the race was the “attempt by certain Republican legislators to repeal New Jersey’s ban on assault weapons.”
Two years later, he campaigned as a supporter of an assault weapons ban and called those in opposition “dangerous,” “crazy” and “radical,” Politico reported.
“I learned the difference, and I learned what the limitations are of these laws that people are talking about and how they much, much more greatly infringe on law-abiding citizens than they do anything to prevent crime,” Mr. Christie said Wednesday. “Having learned that, my position’s changed.
“And, quite frankly, if I had the choice now, I’d make New Jersey a state where you could have a shall-issue on conceal and carry,” he said. “Now, our Legislature won’t do that, but what I have done recently is to make sure that we’re making it easier for folks to be able to get a permit in New Jersey because they deserve the right to do that as law-abiding citizens.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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