--- description: Cory Booker said that while much has been made of the pair's "bromance," he and Chris Christie disagree strongly on the issues title: Cory Booker 'Angered' by Chris Christie's Tack in Presidential Race image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae9444b49b0299ae/69887ab5196cf42ccc03a081/cory-booker.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2016 Election](/tag/2016-election/) ## 2016 Election Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Cory Booker 'Angered' by Chris Christie's Tack in Presidential Race  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 27, 2016 6:59 PM CUT  Cory Booker introduces Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at a campaign event in Marion, IO on Jan. 24, 2016. Cory Booker introduces Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at a campaign event in Marion, IO on Jan. 24, 2016.Brendan Hoffman—Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 27, 2016 6:59 PM CUT [Chris Christie](http://time.com/4165593/chris-christie-iowa-governor/ "undefined") and Cory Booker have long had an alliance of political convenience—perhaps best enshrined in [a 2012 video](https://youtu.be/wHN0ZeS5c-4 "undefined") that depicted Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey, desperately looking for crises to solve only to find Booker, then the Democratic mayor of Newark, is already on the case. But with Christie tacking to the right in his presidential campaign, Booker, now a New Jersey Senator, says the “bromance” isn’t all it’s made up to be. “I think the bromance aspect gets a lot more attention and the real substantive and often fierce disagreements don’t,” Booker told TIME this week in an interview about [his new book, _United_](http://www.amazon.com/United-Thoughts-Finding-Common-Advancing/dp/1101965169 "undefined"). “He and I disagree on policy issues across the board. I’ve been frustrated by him, angered by steps he’s taken. “You could talk about everything from cutting [Planned Parenthood](http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2013/nov/10/hilary-rosen/chris-christie-vetoed-planned-parenthood-funding-5/ "undefined") or [reducing the earned income tax credit](http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/552015/approved/20150707b.html "undefined"), all the way to gestation crates,” Booker said, citing policies Christie supported in New Jersey that were seen by his critics as more geared toward courting conservative voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. Christie’s veto of the bill that would have banned the use of pig gestation crates in New Jersey earned particular ire—[and praise from the governor of Iowa,](http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/01/politics/iowa-christie-pig/ "undefined") one of the [the biggest pork-producing states in the country](http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2012/Online%5FResources/Highlights/Hog%5Fand%5FPig%5FFarming/ "undefined")—given that the measure had widespread support in the state legislature Christie’s campaign didn’t comment. But Booker defended Christie against [criticism of his response to last week’s East Coast snowstorm](http://www.wsj.com/articles/chris-christie-takes-a-hit-over-storm-response-1453852476 "undefined"). Christie [caught flack](http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/monster-storm/new-jersey-gov-chris-christie-apologizes-storm-crack-i-got-n504526 "undefined") for [downplaying the damage](http://abcnews.go.com/US/mop-chris-christie-nj-flooding-cleanup/story?id=36513815 "undefined") and for originally [not planning to leave the campaign trail](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/23/nyregion/in-word-and-deed-christies-ambitions-shrink-at-home-amid-white-house-bid.html "undefined") in New Hampshire during the storm. “I talked to the governor during this storm,” Booker said. “I talked to the leaders in his administration. We are working seamlessly together. I have no barbs to throw, especially when we’re still in the midst of cleaning up. … I try never to play into the politics of it.” Booker, who’s been campaigning for Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, said he’s a “fan” of all three Democratic candidates. “But when it comes to Hillary Clinton… it wasn’t even a question,” Booker said. “She’s profoundly qualified to lead our country during perilous times, as well as deeply adroit in policy.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4194742/cory-booker-chris-christie-2016-presidential-race/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4194742/cory-booker-chris-christie-2016-presidential-race/"},"headline":"Cory Booker 'Angered' by Chris Christie's Tack in Presidential Race","datePublished":"2016-01-27T18:59:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T14:27:47.636Z","description":"\"He and I disagree on policy issues across the board\"","url":"https://time.com/4194742/cory-booker-chris-christie-2016-presidential-race/","keywords":["2016 Election","2016 Election topic","New Jersey"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae9444b49b0299ae/69887ab5196cf42ccc03a081/cory-booker.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katie Reilly","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae9444b49b0299ae/69887ab5196cf42ccc03a081/cory-booker.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Hillary Clinton Campaigns Iowa As State's Caucus Approaches","caption":"Hillary Clinton Campaigns Iowa As State's Caucus Approaches","creditText":"Brendan Hoffman—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2016-election/","name":"2016 Election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4194742/cory-booker-chris-christie-2016-presidential-race/","name":"Cory Booker 'Angered' by Chris Christie's Tack in Presidential Race"}}]}] ```