New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told conservatives Saturday that they shouldn't be put off by his blunt style, as "you'll always know who I am" if he mounts a presidential bid in 2016.
"You'll always know what I believe and you'll always know where I stand," said Christie, speaking at length about his pro-life views at the Iowa Freedom Summit.
The outspoken Republican, who is expected to announce his intentions to seek the GOP nomination, was one of several conservatives making the trip to Iowa to speak to a crowd of nearly 1,300 at the day-long event.
He spoke extensively about his anti-abortion views, a subject that resonated with the conservatives in the audience, and noted that it was his 11th visit to Iowa in the past five years.
"I ran in New Jersey as a pro-life candidate in 2009 and I won," said Christie. "I ran for reelection as a pro-life governor in 2013 and won by 22 points. The notion that our party must abandon our belief in the sanctity of life to be competitive in blue states is simply not true, and I am living proof of that fact."
Christie said all life is precious, and "We need as a pro-life movement to not just be talking about those first nine months, but about every month that life exists on the Earth that God has given us."
Christie also called for economic strength to return to the United States, saying "the next century does not have to be a Chinese century," a reference to growing competition with the Chinese economy. "It can be an American century."
Further, the country does not need to stand by and watch as middle class wages and the quality of life decline.
"The world can't do without a second American century, and neither can my children or yours do without America being a strong, resolute leader in this world," said Christie.
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