Rupert Murdoch Warned Chris Christie In Private About His Obama Praise

Rupert Murdoch's Private Warning To Chris Christie
News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch, listens to introductions during a forum on The Economics and Politics of Immigration in Boston at which Murdoch and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke, Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)
News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch, listens to introductions during a forum on The Economics and Politics of Immigration in Boston at which Murdoch and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke, Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

Just before the 2012 election wrapped up, Rupert Murdoch sent a public warning to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie over Twitter, telling him he needed to "re-declare" his support for Mitt Romney in the wake of his praise for President Obama's handling of Hurricane Sandy. But a New York Times report on Tuesday revealed that Murdoch also pressured Christie in private.

Christie made few friends in his own party when he toured New Jersey with Obama and heaped superlatives on the president. He was apparently worried enough about the potential backlash that he called Murdoch the same day the media mogul sent his tweet, the Times' Michael Barbaro wrote:

Mr. Christie told Mr. Murdoch that amid the devastation, New Jersey needed friends, no matter their political party, according to people briefed on the discussion. But Mr. Murdoch was blunt: Mr. Christie risked looking like a spoiler unless he publicly affirmed his support for Mitt Romney, something the governor did the next day.

The two then moved on to do things like appear on "Saturday Night Live" or get into trouble with Jewish groups.

Read the full New York Times report here.

Before You Go

Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen

President Obama Campaigns

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot