Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh accused New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) of kowtowing to President Barack Obama for a second time on Monday in his response to the case of a nurse suspected of being infected by the Ebola virus.
"I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I really think the Republicans ought to make sure that Governor Christie gets quarantined," Limbaugh said on his show. "He's in the middle here again, taking center stage of another national crisis, with another Obama hug moment and [New York] Gov. [Andrew] Cuomo doing the same thing."
A lawyer for the nurse, 33-year-old Kaci Hickox, announced on Monday that Hickox was being transferred to Maine to complete her quarantine process. Christie and Cuomo had reportedly drawn criticism from both health officials and the Obama administration after she was quarantined inside a tent upon her return from the U.S. from Sierra Leone.
The New York Times reported that Hickox hired a legal team to represent her in response to the forced quarantine.
Christie told reporters that he did not reverse course on his policy by allowing Hickox to be transferred out of his state.
"If she was continuing to be ill, she'd have to stay [under quarantine,]" Christie said. "She hadn't had any symptoms for 24 hours. And she tested negative for Ebola. So there was no reason to keep her."
However, Limbaugh insisted on comparing Hickox's release to Christie's decision to appear in public with Obama when the president visited New Jersey in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy before the 2012 elections.
"This is the second election in a row, one week prior to an election, the governor of New Jersey ends up, well I don’t know -- arm and arm, hand and hand, in bed with, I don't know how to characterize it -- but responding to Obama’s demands," Limbaugh said.
Listen to Limbaugh's commentary, as posted online on Monday, below.
Republican National Committee / Nikki Haley for President fundraising email from the night former President Donald Trump was federally indicted. (Email screenshot)