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♪ >> Chris Christie is itching for a fight.

Or letting one go.

Hello everybody, it is Reporters Roundtable.

I'm David.

Our panel this week includes Sophia, Daniel, the health reporter for political NJ.

And -- inside NJ.

We will hear from the panel in just a bit.

We begin today with the best captive.

-- best cap secret with Chris Christie throwing his hat in the presidential candidacy.

He made his announcement Tuesday which is primary day here in New Jersey.

We will talk about that with our guest.

She is the director of the Eagleton center of public interest polling.

It is good to welcome back Ashley.

Good to see you area how are you doing?

Ashley: great, thank you David.

Thank you for having me.

David: I want to talk about all of the stuff, but let's talk about the news about Trump being indicted again.

This time in relation to the classified documents found at his residency in Florida.

It used to be one federal indictment and one sexual assault conviction and it was enough to crash the average presidential campaign.

This guy got two criminal indictments, to impeachment, I mean, WTF, no?

Ashley: Every time something like this happens we expect a dip in the polls, but he is only over 50% with GOP voters right now in the presidential primary polling.

We will see what effect this has what he can use this to this -- his own advantage talking about the unfairness of the DOJ and the Biden administration and how different rules are being of wide to Biden that are being applied to him so he can definitely use this as you'll.

David: I got 10 fundraising emails in my inbox this morning for both sides of this.

So we know Christie Zane is to punch Donald Trump in the face as repeatedly as he can.

Kristi knows I think that there are more legal issues possibly coming for the former president.

Let's take a listen, here he is -- here he is from this week's tour.

>> By the way, the Secret Service stay a your hotel they pay your hotel rate on the taxpayer fun as well.

Let me tell you something that drift from his family is breathtaking.

Jared Kushner and others walked out of the White House and months later had $2 billion from the Saudi's.

$2 billion from the Saudi's.

Do you think it is because he is some kind of investing genius or because he is sitting next to the president of the United States who favored the Saudi's?

That is your money.

That is your money and he gave it to his family.

You know what that makes us, a banana republic.

David: That is pretty compelling stuff right there.

I guess you have not polled on the question yet, but how many indictments will it take?

Ashley: That is the million-dollar question.

This is the only president in the U.S. history to have a federal indictment now against him.

Let's go back and talk about Kristi for a second.

We know he has a gift of words and a legal ground to parse this out.

That certainly can work for him, but realistically, we know it is going to be a huge uphill climb.

And practically impossible for him to overcome.

He is pulling at about 1% right now in residential primary polling.

Again, Trump is leading the pack far and away even though against Ron DeSantis.

It will be interesting to see how this is out in the months to come.

Ashley: You -- David: You've got to wonder what the rationale is.

Kristi mocked others in the race for being soft on Trump.

Listen to a little bit more from Kristi here he is from Townhall talking about the truck record.

-- Trump record.

Christie: the reason this is going to be different, is some of us are going to call him on the fact -- he said in New Hampshire he would balance the budget in four years and he left with the biggest deficit of any president in American history.

He said he was going to eliminate the national debt and eight -- years.

He added $3 trillion to the national debt in four years.

It is at least three.

He said eight years ago that he was going to repeal and replace Obamacare.

He neither revealed nor replaced -- repealed nor replaced by got a Republican Congress.

The reason I am going after Trump is twofold; one, he deserves it, and two, it is a way to win.

These two are not divided.

This is what I do not understand about the coverage.

I hope he is not going out there -- no, I am going out there.

Let me be clear I am going out there to take out Donald Trump and that is -- here is why.

And when you put dissent -- and here is why, I want to win, and I do not want him to win.

And when you put DeSantis truth serum to tell you, they will say the same thing.

You do not have to put me on truth serum to say that.

That is why.

There are not multiple ways to a Republican nomination, there is one way and he is in front of it.

If you want to win, it you have to go right through him.

I've been working with him 22 years, he will have to go through me.

David: None of the other candidates really have made as clear a case as that.

He almost sounds like a Democrat there.

But, are there enough moderates in the GOP with whom a message like that would resonate?

Ashley: That is what we don't know.

unfortunately for him, Kristi is polling -- Christie Is polling as police favored and least likely to snag the GOP among voters right now.

He is the only Republican that really has gone after Trump in such a direct faction -- fashion.

He's probably right about that.

But it is because one of the candidates -- some of the candidates are still having one foot in the truck base -- Trump base.

There may be some of the voters and politicians and Republican Party officials that are secretly hoping for that but they really have not come out against it.

They do not want to alienate Trump Supporters.

That will be a hard road for Christie To go down.

David: Yeah.

And New Hampshire is all that he's got right now.

But if he comes in second or third they are something could happen, right?

He would have to get something like that.

Christie You would have to get -- Ashley: He would have to get something in New Hampshire.

He focused on it in 2016I think he has the same tactic from a 2024 race.

The polling restrictions are incredibly difficult to overcome but it does include a scenario when you get over 1% of New Hampshire.

He needs to bank on that.

David: Yeah and he needs to get Trump In a debate.

Trump Has threatened to not participate, but Christie Needs Trump To be able to -- he would rise among other candidates that are not great debaters.

Ashley: We know the former governor well.

He has amassed that overtakes the stage for better or worse.

A blessing and a curse.

You could do damage like he did to Arco Rubio.

-- Marco Rubio.

David: Does anything jump out you from the primaries in New Jersey this week?

Ashley: I think it is the story we expected.

We expected a lot of battles between Republicans, again, incumbency brings the day.

Those expected partyline won the day for the most part.

We were looking at Cody versus Gil as well and everything kind of went with expectations.

We had a low turnout, low interest election on par with what we've seen in the past.

I do not think there are many surprises here.

It is one more step that will influence how the Republican parties play out in New Jersey.

We know it has a different type of Republicanism than what we have seen in other states and nationally.

And whether it New Jerseyans now go toward the national trend I think is something we will see more and or as we approach the general and future election.

David: Was this guy read by you this week at all?

Ashley: It looks like the apocalypse.

It is nice to not read in smoke.

It is nice to finally see -- breathe in smoke.

It is nice to finally sees clear skies.

David: Ashley Director of the Rutgers center of -- public polling.

Good to see you.

Thanks for coming on.

Ashley: Great as always, David.

Thank you.

David: Daniel, good to see you all.

Let's start with the Trump indictment that is coming, Sophie, I know that you do not cover this stuff generally.

When you see a news alert that says Trump indicted again a few weeks after his arrival on sexual assault and a few weeks after the other indictment do you think anyone beyond us in the press and media pays attention to this anymore?

Sophie: You know, I do not think so.

I don't -- I don't think people are that interested in this.

I think people are more tired of hearing about it than anything if they are not interested in politics.

So, this is not swaying voters in one way or another in my opinion.

And you are right, I do not cover this often, but it is just -- the way I see it happening online -- I don't see people engaging with it in the same way it was during the first impeachment when it was something new and revelatory.

Now it is like it is just another thing that he's likely going to get away with and it will have a big impact on his campaign.

David: And they are kind of counting on that, right?

Sophie: Yeah, definitely.

David: Snow flat, you will probably right three columns about this, what is the impact if any do you think?

>> As Sophie said, I do not think people care about this.

And those who do obviously are in the same camp.

There are people that paint -- eight Trump And those that love -- hate a Trump And love Trump.

I don't think it makes that much of a difference.

The Trump cult if you want to call it that that will not change.

They can say our guy is being prosecuted.

And a bunch of people hate him and there still going to hate him.

The interesting thing is what are the Republican presidential candidate, the others, water may going to do?

What we saw a few days ago you would expect Christie to jump on it.

But others like Mike Pence and Nikki Haley, are they going to jump on it?

I don't really think though.

David: Yeah, it kind of intensifies opinions, but it does not change opinions, right?

Fred: Correct, yes.

David: Let me say on you with this.

Christie has been out front with everyone on Trump.

but if things turn on the former president Christie has to be seen as alternative but right now there is no indication that he is, is there?

Fred: Absolutely he holds two things.

Republicans want to move on from Trump And he holds that there going to move on to him.

But I don't know if the first part is true but let's assume it is.

Let's be honest, the base of the Republican Party is not going to be living through New Jersey.

It is out in the Midwest.

And it is very evangelical Christians.

I don't know Christie's style.

If it is as enjoyable to people here in New Jersey to watch.

If that's going to go over in places like Texas.

I have my doubts.

David: On the primaries here in New Jersey, anything with people getting ready for the weekend need to know about what happened this week?

Fred: Well, I mean, most people look at it -- that is a serious problem.

I know most people don't care about the state legislature, but underrepresentation that is pretty pathetic.

You complain about a lot of things, but unfortunately the people themselves have to be somewhat more engaged.

It is very easy to vote these days.

People really have to pay more attention.

David: Do you have any of the results that people should be like oh, that was interesting?

Or was it just like most everybody on line one?

Fred: Yeah, that is true.

In the entire world of politics, there were some battles as far as counting over the encoding the -- battle for the general public.

In the start of the people who were except -- expecting to win won.

David: Early voting by mail, 10% or less.

Aside from the horrible turnout out, did anything jump out you -- jump out from you -- for the primaries?

Daniel: Yes.

The South Jersey Democrats did not get a Republican that they wanted to win.

They had been just days or weeks before the primary have been sending out mailers opposing Christo Barilla.

Suggesting that their preferred candidate was County Commissioner Dickie Sylvia.

The one thing I would point out is two days of reading this, either they thought Sylvia was more -- inside baseball.

I would note that for Chris with the County resident if you were to win.

As Republicans we have senatorial courtesy where they could block a group at oriole -- without reason.

And that would come out in the works.

David: Going deep into the high grass there.

Any implications for been 25 gubernatorial race?

Any candidates or potential candidates have a good night?

Daniel: I don't know about the term a good night but there are some TDs you can read out of Tuesday's primary for 2025.

I cannot take credit for all of these analyses.

I got them from my colleagues online.

But if you come to mind for New York the turnout was abysmal.

Obviously -- rock is considered a candidate.

And if you cannot deliver his own political base what is it mean in 2025?

And then 1.5 radio host he went one for four because he went into a lot of Republican primaries in his preferred candidates did not necessarily went.

And one other interesting fact, Brian Stack the incumbent state sit in there in Hudson County and Mayor of Union City was able to draw around 20,000 primary votes in a race where he was uncontested.

There are some competitive primaries that did not even get 20,000 votes.

So if you're a gubernatorial candidate looking to break in some Democratic primary votes, maybe he is a person you would want to be hunting down.

David: Headed to Union City might be advisable.

All right.

Sophie, I was in New Hampshire so I actually miss North Jersey turning into the surface of ours the Canadian fires.

Dibs on that band name by the way, were you out there or were you able to avoid that?

Are you checking air now.gov obsessively?

Sophie: I have been it says -- obsessively looking about weather app being if I'm in the red, purple or orange section.

My cousin graduated from high school so I had to travel into New York on the day of the apocalypse.

And it felt very much like March 2020.

The streets were not as packed as much as they were.

Everyone had amassed on.

Everyone on the bus has a mask on.

.

it was really weird It was unprecedented times yet again.

Yeah, it was tough to go outside.

It was tough to breathe outside.

And yet, for me personally, it came out of nowhere.

I did not know about the fires in Canada and that it would have this effect on us for a few days.

Now, this guy is looking blue again so I feel happy.

David: So there is hope.

Daniel, you are the health guy how major of an event was this?

Daniel: I do not want to oversell it, but what I will say is that you had trade groups like the Hospital Association saying they were being some level up uptick in respiratory cases in their emergency rooms.

Particularly in the North Jersey area.

I reached out to a couple hospital systems.

Not all of them are worded upticks in respiratory cases, but some of them didn't say, yes, this is something we ours being.

Governor Murphy New York City and Mayor Adams have attributed this to climate change.

They have said perhaps this could become even more commonplace.

I think what we saw is that this really disrupted everyone's day to day routines.

Like having issues getting off the ground -- with flights.

And we had schools closed.

Something we need it keep in mind and plan for going forward.

David: And maybe take comfort in the fact that we are not like some other countries around the world where this is a much more common occurrence.

Let me say with you, Daniel, really quickly on the speakers state NJ plan amendments coming.

A deal perhaps?

What you know about this?

Daniel: Yeah, yesterday but speakers proposal advance from the Senate committee.

One notable change is that it now includes the expansion of the senior freeze property tax relief that Governor Murphy had wanted -- Governor Murphy had proposed during his budget address.

Make about what you will, but I think the big picture is that the governor -- the governor's office and his aides have been very outspokenly opposed to staying -- Sanjay the way it is written.

I was in South Jersey or the your this week where some of the governor aides went as far as suggesting as how this could cause racial inequity.

Black and brown seniors who they said are mostly renters would be excluded from a property tax relief program.

Now I will say yesterday the governor's office took an unusual step with a Chief of Staff drawer and tell me.

By tempering down this a little bit by -- and still voicing concerns over Stay NJ.

You do not need to cancel your July for plans yet, but there still seems to be some -- not, everyone is not in agreement at the very least I would say.

David: Fred, any hope for a shutdown?

Fred: No, I don't think anyone is going to cancel [INDISCERNIBLE] Reporting politician.

Think about it logically, we have Democrats fighting Democrats.

That happens, Democrats fight root -- Democrats and Republicans might Republicans to visit them unusual that Democrats in New Jersey are going to lead to a government shutdown.

Nobody wants that and I am sure that things are going to be resolved.

That would be my guess.

People compromise like everything else in politics and life will be tough, but you think it would have to be easier if Democrats would compromise with Democrats.

David: You know, it is also convenient, right?

That this thing happens over here, meanwhile, all of this stuff gets added into the budget in the last few days.

It is a nice distraction, right?

Fred: Absolutely.

David: Time for our only in Jersey moment.

Headlines that are quintessentially Jersey.

Sophie, you have one for us.

Sophie: Yes, my Lee in Jersey is my one-sided beef with the Jersey City parking authority.

As we were talking about the air quality that was bad this week, Governor Murphy did put out a statement urging people to stay indoors, not go outside unless they needed to.

And of course, in Jersey City, where we have to move our cars for times a week unless you live downtown, we had to go sit in our cars for an hour in this smokiness.

So, only in Jersey City.

And I should add that New York City canceled their alternate side.

As you can see, I am a little bit jealous.

But only in Jersey when they can't hold -- cancels street sweeping and urges to stay inside of the same time.

David: Meet with the parking authority you really are a Jersey City resident area mine comes from the virtual world but has a lot to do with this world.

It is this tweet from the assembly GOP.

It says, "Murphy's masks won't work for this either. "

Referring to the smoke from the aforementioned Canadian fires.

First of all, anti-mask memes are so COVID-19 and secondly, wrong again.

If you think you are better off not wearing a mask when the smoke is making the sky red, what other stuff are you willing to believe?

Read the room, guys.

That is roundtable for this week.

Sophie, Dan, Fred, good to see you all.

Thanks.

Thank you also to -- you can follow the show on Twitter at roundtable NJ and get fresh content every day when you subscribe to YouTube channel.

I'm David Cruz from the entire crew here at Gateway Center in downtown New Jersey.

Thanks for watching.

We will see you again.

>> Major funding for orders roundtable David Cruz is provided by our WJ Barnabas health.

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NJM Insurance group, it serving the insurance needs of New Jersey residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

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Big scene in New Jersey business and industry Association report to executive and legislative readers in all 20 counties in the garden states in 1954.

And by Politico New Jersey playbook.

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Online at Politico.com.

♪