Presidential Candidate Chris Christie Tells MSNBC He's 'Combat Ready'

Republican presidential candidate Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) returned to "Morning Joe" today to discuss his presidential campaign and said he's "combat ready" in a live interview with MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

Below are highlights from Christie's interview, which is his first appearance on "Morning Joe" since kicking off his campaign, courtesy of MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

Gov. Chris Christie on What Sets Him Apart from the GOP Field:

I'm combat ready, Joe. I'm a guy who has actually dealt with a Democratic legislature for the last six years and gotten things done. It' much more, much more like what it will be in Washington, D.C., for the next president, than if you're a Republican governor with a Republican legislature, when you send things down the hall, they stamp it and send it back. You got to learn how to fight and compromise at the same time.

On "Bridgegate":

The only people up in New Hampshire who ask about [Bridgegate] is the press who follow me up to New Hampshire. That's about it, nobody cares.They don't care, because here's why. They don't care because they know that there is now been three independent investigations all of which have said exactly the same thing I said the day after it happened.

On How He's Changed Since the Scandal:

CHRISTIE: I'm much stronger than I was before.

SCARBOROUGH: You are more humble?

CHRISTIE: Sure. How couldn't you be after you go through that? I mean, I think otherwise, you're just, you know, stupid.

SCARBOROUGH: You are a better candidate because of the hell you've been through the past couple years?

CHRISTIE: I'm a better person.

SCARBOROUGH: How?

CHRISTIE: Because I recognize now who my friends are. I also recognize that when mistakes are made, you've got to be accountable for them. And in the end, I'm better because I've been through a really awful time, and I'm upright. As I said to Willie, I saw Willie this morning, he said you look good, I said I'm upright, baby.

Christie on Sen. Rand Paul's (R-KY) actions against the PATRIOT Act:

In town hall meetings, people are really worried about ISIS, they are really worried about the threat of terrorism. That's why what Rand Paul has done to make the country weaker and more vulnerable is a terrible thing.

And for him to raise money off it is disgraceful, it's disgraceful. He's the only guy who used the PATRIOT Act in this race as a former prosecutor. You know, what he's done, is, we're going to look back on this. I listened this morning. We're going to look back on this and he should be in front of hearings, in front of Congress, if there's another attack. Not the director of the FBI or the director of the CIA.

Watch the interview below: