Chris Christie tepidly denies Donald Trump's claim that thousands of New Jerseyans cheered on 9/11

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie didn't come down hard on fellow Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for claiming that "thousands" cheered in the Garden State on 9/11.

"Hey, I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down," Trump said at a Saturday rally in Birmingham, Alabama. "And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering." Christie's response: "I don't recall that."

Christie continued to hedge. "It was a pretty emotional time for me because, as I've mentioned before, there's family involved, there were, you know friends involved and so it was a pretty harrowing time. I do not remember that, and so it's not something that was part of my recollection. I think if it had happened, I would remember it, but, you know, there could be things I forget, too."

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In contrast, this is how fellow GOP presidential candidate and former New York Gov. George Pataki responded to Trump's claims:

And here's the current mayor of Jersey City Steven Folop:

Trump's claims have also been refuted by the police.