Chris Christie is known for his anger, but to the New Jersey governor, it’s all under control.
“It’s an absolute controlled anger. A controlled anger,” Christie said in an interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer that aired Wednesday.
Christie says his temper is just a way to demonstrate his passion for the issues. The governor’s campaign slogan even addressing his blunt demeanor as, “Tell It Like It is.”
“I’m angry about the fact that taxpayers were being ripped off in New Jersey,” Christie told Lauer. “I’m angry about the fact that our urban kids can’t get a good education. I’m angry about those things, you’re darn right I am. And I think America wants someone who’s willing to fight for that.”
NBC said the governor noted that he has lost his temper “very few times” during his two terms in office. Among various confrontations with reporters, the republican nominee once called a reporter an “idiot” and in another instance told a heckler to “sit down and shut up.”
Christie officially launched his campaign on Tuesday at his former high school, Livingston High school, in Livingston, New Jersey. Christie is now the 14th major Republican candidate, and has served as a Republican governor in a primarily blue state since 2010 and the state’s U.S. Attorney from 2002-2010.