Hey there, it's the MPR Politics Podcast. I'm Susan Davis, I cover politics.

And I'm Tamara Keith, I cover the White House.

And we're continuing our series of interviewing the contenders for the Republican nomination

for president. Joining us now, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, governor, thanks

for coming on the podcast. Thanks for having me out.

So as our listeners know, this is not your first run for the White House. You ran for

the nomination in 2016. You bowed out after a six-place showing in New Hampshire and then

you endorsed Donald Trump. So let's start here. What makes you think this time is going

to be any different?

Well, I think our country is in a much different place. And I think I'm a much different

candidate than I was eight years ago. I'm looking at this as a real moment for change for

our party. And I got into this race because I felt like no one was making that case.

No one was willing to take the case directly to Donald Trump as to why he and through his

conduct had disqualified himself for ever being president of the United States again.

I want to make that case. I've been making that case. I think it's important not only

for my party, but for our country.

Is it fair to say that the impetus behind your campaign was the president's actions

before, during and after the January 6 attack on the Capitol? In other words, would you

be running if not for what happened around that attack?

Certainly is what led me to affirmatively break from him back on election night of 2020.

And there are a lot of other issues that I care deeply about. But what ultimately was

the straw that broke the camel's back was his continued conduct from election night

...