Trump says N.J. is ‘ready to pop out of that blue horror show’ at telerally for Jack Ciattarelli for N.J. governor’s race
Trump encouraged people to vote for Ciattarelli with early voting beginning Tuesday
President Donald Trump encouraged supporters to vote for Jack Ciattarelli in the New Jersey governor’s race in a telerally Monday, the night before early voting begins for the state’s June 10 primary.
“We’re less than 24 hours away from the start of early voting at the very important primary election to select your Republican candidate for governor,” Trump said. “It’s a big deal. It’s being watched, actually, all over the world, because New Jersey is ready to pop out of that blue horror show.”
Trump endorsed Ciattarelli in the GOP gubernatorial primary last month, after months of speculation over whether the president would endorse a candidate in the race. Ciattarelli, a former Assembly member who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2017 and 2021, has changed over the years from being a never-Trumper to being quiet on the subject, and this time around fully embracing the president.
Ciattarelli’s primary opponent Bill Spadea, a former conservative radio host who also courted Trump’s endorsement, has continued to push out audio from Trump speaking poorly about Ciattarelli on his show last year.
Trump affirmed on Monday that Ciattarelli has his “complete and total endorsement,” even though “other people are going around saying I endorsed them.”
Ciattarelli and Spadea are also competing against State Sen. Jon Bramnick, who has been critical of Trump, as well as the lesser-known Trump loyalists Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac and contractor Justin Barbera.
» READ MORE: A guide to the candidates for NJ governor
Trump said at the telerally that the Garden State is a “very incredible place to be,” but also spoke poorly about the state, blaming Democrats.
Trump has a residence at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., which he said he stays at often. Trump met with Ciattarelli at the club in late March ahead of the endorsement.
“It’s like ‘Make America Great Again.’ It’s ‘Make New Jersey Great Again,’” Trump said.
Trump claimed that if a Democrat is elected governor, the state’s “economy will wither and die and you’ll be living in a nightmare of chaos and crime.”
“And you sort of have that to a certain extent now,” he added.
Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy was elected in 2017 and reelected in 2021. Now that he’s term-limited, six Democrats are running in a competitive primary to replace him. Republicans see an opportunity to take control over a state that shifted red during the 2024 presidential election and that Ciattarelli came within about three points of winning in 2021.
Trump said that Ciattarelli will “liberate New Jersey from illegal alien gangs and savage criminal networks,” support police, fight antisemitism, stop what Ciattarelli calls the overdevelopment of the suburbs, fight New York City’s congestion pricing, and “stand up” to teachers unions he called “radical.” He said that with Ciattarelli as governor, kids in school will be taught to love America.
Ciattarelli praised Trump for being “in tune” with issues that matter to New Jerseyans. The candidate said that he will sign an executive order on the first day in office getting rid of the state’s status as a “sanctuary state” (an unofficial term the state’s Democratic leadership refutes) and getting rid of sanctuary jurisdictions within the state. Ciattarelli has said as part of his campaign that he would threaten state funding from municipalities that don’t comply.
“And my attorney general will not be suing the White House for your executive orders,” Ciattarelli added, in a jab at Democratic Attorney General Matt Platkin, who has pursued various lawsuits against the Trump administration.
New Jersey’s so-called sanctuary policy is a directive that largely prohibits New Jersey law enforcement from assisting ICE. The stated purpose of the directive is to strengthen trust with local law enforcement so immigrants feel safe reporting crimes. Platkin said his office “routinely cooperate[s] with federal authorities to remove violent offenders.”
» READ MORE: Several N.J. governor candidates say they will end the state’s sanctuary status — including one Democrat
The whole state of New Jersey was included on a list of places the Trump administration considers sanctuary jurisdictions that it plans to notify of what the president calls their noncompliance with federal immigration law. Those places are at risk of losing federal aid.
Within New Jersey, Burlington County, Cumberland County, Camden, Trenton, and more than a dozen other localities were also listed, including Jersey City and Newark, whose mayors are running in the Democratic primary and want to expand the state’s sanctuary protections.