In a Q&A following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy warned he will “fight to the death” against the administration if he detects behavior “contrary to our values.”
“[A]s we respect the peaceful transition of power, if there is any attack on the Garden State or any of its communities from Washington, I will fight back with every fiber of my being,” Murphy said.
“If there’s an opportunity for common ground, we will seize that as fast as anybody,” he conversely added.
State Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio, R-Hackettstown, told Fox News Digital that Murphy is “missing the message” voters sent Tuesday with the initial rhetoric.
“It’s time for the governor to recognize that his values may not reflect the values of New Jerseyans as widely as he assumes.”
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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy meets with Trump. (Getty/File)
“While Murphy is prepared to spend resources on political battles with Trump, it’s hard to see how that aligns with the priorities of struggling families, working taxpayers and business owners who want more focus on their needs,” DiMaio said.
Murphy, who will begin his final year in Trenton after Trump is inaugurated, credited Trump with his “uncanny ability to connect with people, even if it’s not in their own interests,” after the Republican came proverbially close to taking the blue bastion.
While Murphy rejected a reporter’s query about New Jersey being in play in the future, he commented that Trump only lost it by 4%, compared to 16% in 2020.
“I do not believe we are a swing state,” he said, adding that outside of Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s victory along the Route 22 corridor, he was happy with the down-ballot results. Kean is a Republican.
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He pointed to Republicans’ success in messaging on the immigration crisis, adding…
