SHORE. MATT TRAVELED THERE TO TALK TO
CHRIS CHRISTIE ABOUT THE
PROGRESS THATS BEEN MADE AND
WHAT THE GOVERNOR WILL DO NEXT.
>> Reporter: AFTER 8:00 P.M.,
OCTOBER 29th, 2012, WHEN HURRICANE SANDY ROARED INTO
NEW JERSEY.
NEW JERSEY. LEAVING BEHIND $36 BILLION IN
DAMAGES AND 37 DEAD. AS THE ANNIVERSARY APPROACHES, I
MET WITH GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRIS
CAN I, WHO EMERGED FROM THAT
CRISIS AS A NATIONAL FIGURE. AND ASKED HIM ABOUT SEEING THE
SCOPE OF THE DAMAGE.
>> WENT TO BELMAR, NEW JERSEY.
I LANDED MY HELICOPTER WHERE THE
BOARDWALK USED TO BE.
WHEN I LANDED, I SAID, WHERE IS THE BOARDWALK. I SAID, WHERE IS
THE BOARDWALK. AND THE STATE POLICE SAID ITS
GONE.
>> Reporter: WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING YOU SAW WHEN YOU CAME DOWN
HERE AFTER SANDY?
>> IT WAS THE DEVASTATED PEOPLE
THAT DIDNT KNOW WHERE TO TURN.
AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE
BOARDWALK.
IT WAS DEVASTATING TO SEE IT SO PHYSICALLY CHANGED.TO SEE IT SO
PHYSICALLY CHANGED. >> Reporter: I THINK ONE TIME
YOU SAID TO ME, IN THE WAKE OF
THE STORM, WE TALKED TO YOU AND
YOU SAID, GIVE US FIVE YEARS.
GIVE US FIVE YEARS AND WELL BE
BACK.
BACK. HAS THAT PLAYED OUT IN YOUR
OPINION?
OPINION?
>> I WOULD SAY 85% OF THE
RECOVERY IS DONE, OVERALL. ON THE BUSINESS SIDE OF THINGS.
MOODYS CAME OUT AND SAID THAT
THE SHORE COUNTIES ARE
COMPLETELY BACK.
COMPLETELY BACK. AND THEYRE MORE RESILIENT THAN
THEY WERE BEFORE THE STORM.
>> Reporter: THATS A BUSINESS
CALCULATION YOURE TALKING
ABOUT.
YOU KNOW WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND ITS HAPPENED WHEN WE TALKED
BEFORE.
AS SOON AS I AIR THIS INTERVIEW, THERES GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHOEW,
THERES GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO SAY THEYRE NOT --
>> THEYRE NOT IN THEIR HOMES.
ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE.
WERE GOING TO KEEP WORKING.
>> Reporter: WERE MISTAKES MADE
IN THE PROCESS?
>> SURE.
>> Reporter: THOSE PEOPLE WHEN THEY SCREAM ANOTHERT ME, THEYRE
AT THE BUREAUCRACY.
MAD AT THE PROCESS.
SOME OF THEM ARE ANGRY AT YOU. WERE MISTAKES MADE?GRY AT YOU.
WERE MISTAKES MADE?
>> SURE.
IN THE BEGINNING THERE WERE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE DID
ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
IN THE BEGINNING, THE COMPANY WE
HIRED TO RUN THE REBUILDING
PROGRAM, THEY WERENT GOOD.
WE HAD TWO BIDS, WE PICKED THE
LOWEST ONE AND THEY WERENT
GOOD.
WE REMOVED THEM.
WE HAVE A NEW GROUP IN THATS
MUCH BETTER.
THERE WERE MISTAKES MADE, MATT. I WOULD NEVER SAY WE WERE MATT.
I WOULD NEVER SAY WE WERE MISTAKE-FREE.
MISTAKE-FREE.
>> Reporter: LETS TAKE THE
EXPERIENCE IN NEW JERSEY AND
BROADEN IT OUT.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OF HOUSTON ARE
STILL REELING.
PEOPLE IN FLORIDA.
PEOPLE IN THE CARIBBEAN.
THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS FROM THE
HURRICANE SEASON WE JUST LIVED
THROUGH.
IF YOU COULD IMPART ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO THE PEOPLE AND THEE OF
ADVICE TO THE PEOPLE AND THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THOSE
AREAS, BASED ON SOMETHING YOU
LEARNED HERE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
>> TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, I
WOULD TELL THEM, YOU HAVE TO
STAY ON TOP OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, EVERYD MATTER WHO TH
PRESIDENT IS.
PRESIDENT IS. THAT BUREAUCRACY IS HARD TO DEAL
WITH.
WITH.
IF YOU DONT LET THEM KNOW
YOURE WATCHING THEM EVERY MINUTE, IT WILL GET AWAY FROM
YOU.
YOU.
TO THE PEOPLE, I WOULD SAY, DONT SOLELY DEPEND ON THEY,
DONT SOLELY DEPEND ON THE GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT.
LOOK TO NONPROFITS. LOOK TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO
HELP YOU IN THIS BREACH.
WITHOUT THAT, THERE THERE BE
DIFFICULT DAYS.
DIFFICULT DAYS.
>> LETReporter: LETS TALK ABOUT YOU.ETReporter: LETS TALK ABOUT
YOU.
IN THE FIVE YEARS SINCE
HURRICANE SANDY, YOUR PERSONAL
FORTUNES HAVE SHIFTED.
YOU WERE AN EXTRAORDINARILY
POPULAR GOVERNOR AT THAT TIME.
AND TODAY, YOU LEAVE OFFICE IN 80-SOMETHING DAYS AND YOURE IN
80-SOMETHING DAYS AND YOUR APPROVAL RATINGS ARE VERY LOW.
WHAT HAPPENED?
WHAT HAPPENED?
>> I RAN FOR PRESIDENT.
AND PEOPLE DONT LIKE WHEN YOU
HAVE A JOB AND YOURE LOOKING
FOR ANOTHER ONE RIGHT IN FRONT
OF THEM.
I ENDORSED DONALD TRUMP. AND THAT WAS INCREDIBLY.
AND THAT WAS INCREDIBLY UNPOPULAR IN MY STATE, AS A BLUE
STATE.
STATE.
AND THIRD, BRIDGEGATE HAPPENED. I THINK THE COMBINATION OF THOSE
THREE THINGS, ALL THREE OF
WHICH, HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH
THE EXCUSEECUTION OF MY JOB.
IMPACTED PEOPLE AND THE WAY THEY
FELT ABOUT ME.
>> YOU WERE THE FIRST BIG-NAME
POLITICIAN ON THE REPUBLICAN
SAID, FOR THE MOST PART, TO JUMP
ON THE TRUMP BANDWAGON.
IF HE WERE TO RUN AGAINST
SOMEONE OTHER THAN HILLARY
CLINTON, WHO YOU DIDNT WANT TO
BE PRESIDENT, WOULD YOU SUPPORT
HIM AGAIN?
HIM AGAIN?
>> IF HE RUNS AGAIN, I WOULD
SUPPORT HIM, YES. IM NOT SURE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
FOUR YEARS IS A LONG TIME.
ESPECIALLY FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS
NOT SPENT A LIFETIME IN
POLITICS.
POLITICS.
I THINK THE YEARS AFFECT THEM
DIFFERENTLY.
IM SURE THE PRESIDENT WILL MAKE
WHATEVER DECISION IS BEST FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY AND THEFOR
HIM AND HIS FAMILY AND THE COUNTRY.
COUNTRY.
IF HE RUNS AGAIN, ABSOLUTELY, I EXPECT TO BE WITH HIM.LUTELY, I
EXPECT TO BE WITH HIM. >> VERY INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT
GOVERNOR CHRISTIE DOES NEXT.
HES BEEN A PROMINENT NATIONAL