'Tonight Show': Chris Christie Considering Going ‘Nuclear' if Ignored Next Debate

It wasn't the "belt grabber" or "back it up" we hoped for, but Chris Christie did perform an encore snippet of "Dance You Do at a Springsteen Concert" from the infamous "The Evolution of Dad Dancing" skit.

The New Jersey governor and presidential candidate stopped by the "Tonight Show" Monday and challenged Jimmy Fallon to a lip syncing battle.

"When I say we are going to lip sync, we are going to lip sync," Christie asserted as he pulled a microphone from behind his chair and began rocking to Springsteen's hit "Born in the USA."

"You won! You're the lip sync winner," Fallon cut it, interrupting his performance as he handed Christie a championship medal.

The GOP nominee hopeful chatted about meeting Fallon's wife in New Hampshire and revealed his plans to take a more aggressive approach during the next GOP face-off, which will be moderated by CNN later this month.

"In the last debate, I was waiting for you to talk," Fallon said referring to the first Republican primary debate on the Fox News Channel.

"Me, too," Christie quipped, noting at one point he went 20 questions without being called on. "But stay tuned on Sept. 16th, we may be changing tactics. You know, if I get to like 15 questions in a row -— count 'em at home — if I get to 15 in a row, you're going to go 'Uh oh, he's going to go nuclear now.'"

"That's what I'm talking about!" Fallon cheered. "That's what we want to see!"

Christie's return to late-night TV comes as he's been struggling to gain momentum in the crowded Republican field in the summer polls. During the interview, Fallon, who often jokes about Christie during his monologue, pressed the famously brash governor, suggesting that he's been overshadowed by billionaire businessman and Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

Christie had several notable clashes with his opponents during the Fox News debate and his performance was generally well-reviewed, but Trump nonetheless dominated coverage of the event.

"Donald Trump now is in the lead in all these polls. Is this a surprise to you?" Fallon asked Christie.

"I completely expected that, didn't you?" Christie responded sarcastically. "Everything he does is fabulous, wonderful, spectacular, amazing. It's the best."

Christie also talked during the interview about a sleepover he had with rival Marco Rubio at 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney's home ahead of a Fourth of July parade in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. After dinner the night before the parade, he said, Romney invited the two competitors, along with their families and a handful of his grandkids on a boat ride that included an unexpected stop for ice cream.

"[Romney] was like, 'Let's go for ice cream.' I was like, 'All right,' " Christie recalled.

"First of all, you weren't like, 'All right,' Fallon chimed. "You were like, 'Yes!'"

Christie jokingly stormed off the stage. When he returned to his chair, he told Fallon, "If I ever leave public life, you're going to have to hire two writers just to replace the garbage you say about me."
 

Contact Us