New Jersey's governor is known for speaking his mind when something displeases him.
A reporter was reminded of that candor Saturday when Gov. Chris Christie snapped at him during a press conference, calling him an "idiot" and suggesting he was "stupid" because he asked a question unrelated to the briefing topic.
Reporters were told in advance that the governor was only taking questions about a water emergency caused by collapsed mains in Monmouth County. At the end of the briefing, one reporter tried to ask Christie a question about a special joint legislative session the governor had called for Monday.
“Did I say on topic?” Christie asked the reporter. “Are you stupid? On topic, on topic. Next question. Thank you all very much and I’m sorry for the idiot over there.”
It wasn't the first time Christie publicly called someone an idiot. At a town hall event in March, he called a former Navy SEAL an idiot during a shouting match over the governor's plan to merge two public universities. Christie said he had no regrets over the name-calling.
At Monday's special session Christie will try to make the case for middle-class tax cuts, according to a letter he sent legislative leaders calling for the session.
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