al: i'm al hunt. john: i'm john heilemann. with all due respect to chris christie, you're wearing our name out. >> with all due respect. with all due respect. with all due respect. your opinions don't matter a lot. john: that was good. we need and wish list. first, welcome. bachelor number 14. christopher james chris christie went back to his old high school

to announce he is running for president. chris christie: i am not running as a surrogate for being elected from king of america. i am not looking to be the most popular guy who looks in your eyes every day to figure out what you want to hear, say it, and do something else. when i stand up on a stage like this there is one thing you will know for sure. i mean what i say and i say what i mean. that is what america needs now. john: we will talk about that later in the show. how did you do? al: strong performance. he did what he had to do. he came as a truth talker. he did touch all the right notes for chris christie.

he said i will stand up to the tax increase spurs, stand up to foreign dictators, and take on washington. i'm not from washington like those other guys. i'm not born of privilege like jeb bush. it was a good performance. the challenges ahead are big as you know. bad fiscal record. a scandal that won't go away. unpopular and not as well funded as we thought. john: in my bearishness, i've got to say you watch that speech and you are reminded about what a political talent he is. no prepared text, no teleprompters, roaming the stage, a lot of charisma, he came across -- if what happened to him over the last 18 months had not happened and he had given this speech, with this quality, people would be floored and knocked out by how much potential he has.

the things that have happened have happened and that is going to make it hard for him to be the nominee. still a good announcement. moving on. minutes ago a big story popped. jeb bush has released 33 years of tax returns, more than any other candidate in history. he made $29 million in the first seven years after he left office in florida. in his first year of not being governor he made $2.2 million, a 770% increase in income. he has made an average of $4.1 million a year. that is a lot of cabbage. for his part bush told reporters that he has been truly blessed and pointed out he made less on

some speeches than chelsea clinton. what if anything might cause john ellis bush the biggest headache? al: let me say this was a smart move. he got out early, i'm like mitt romney. he paid a lot of taxes unlike mitt romney. he set a standard for transparency which went and -- which hillary clinton better pay attention to. this comes after the story of the sleazy business associates he had. there may be problems. for a guy who talks about too much reliance on government he is not generous. in 2010 he made $7.3 trillion and gave $111,000 to charity. the question of disclosing who are the firms he consulted for. he did not release those today. this was a smart move. john: no doubt about that.

it is a problem to be rich and be this rich. he is a very rich man. not as rich as the clintons but he is a rich guy. being rich and trying to talk about upward mobility and pay attention to the bottom of the income spectrum raises issues. you can't get around it. he is going to be a rich guy. he went to a room today and sat with five news organizations and did questions, talk everybody through this financial background. was in a very good mood, seemed relaxed. the contrast with mitt romney could not be greater. he did it early. he is out there taking questions, going through these questions with people. he did not want to be mitt romney'ed. this will go a long way.

al: i agree. this was a good move for jeb bush. another republican candidate rand paul met with antigovernment activist clive and bundy -- cliven bundy. he referred to african-americans as the negro. he is asking marijuana enthusiasts in denver for money at the cannabis business summit. which rand is the real rand? john: they could be an argument that this is a false choice. both of these are the real rand. liberals will be horrified with bundy. he showed up at a meeting. then he took in backstage and spent 45 minutes with him.

that is not great in terms of optics. liberals will love that he was hanging with potheads in denver. both of these arise out of libertarianism. one of the contentions in his campaign, is he a tea party guy or is he the left leaning -- i shouldn't say that. a guy who is acceptable to some on the slightly left side of the perspective because of his libertarianism. that tension between the tea party and the outreach he wants to make is going to be devil him throughout his candidacy. you can see that. al: the bigger contrast than bundy and the pot smokers was this is a guy who has gone to howard and ferguson and try to reach out to african-americans and cliven bundy has said some

incredibly bigoted things. it is hard to square those things. john: there are people who are going to look at this and say the going to look at this and say this is rand paul, he is showing his true colors pre-people think that if you look at rand paul's history, his father's history, there are things that are problematic and all of these rings that he does is calculation and this shows his true colors. it is going to raise those questions for a lot of people in the center of the electorate. i'm not sure what he gains with any portion of the republican electorate by hanging out with bundy. al: i agree. on the other side, at the white house, president obama took questions during a press conference with brazil's sitting president. asked what he could do with his remaining political capital, he basked in his victories last week and took a moment to joke about it.

>> my best week was marrying michelle. that was a good week. malia and sasha being born excellent weeks. there was a game where i scored 27 points. [laughter] that was a pretty good week. i've had some good weeks in my life. al: the president revealed his wish list looking ahead. infrastructure, criminal justice system, free community college. which of these is possible? john: criminal justice reform is possible. i have some doubts about that. he talked about trade as it was a done deal. there is no doubt he won a victory getting that fast track. he still has to get it done. that might be the place for he

is likely to score a win. he has to put it on the board. these other things, interesting that tax reform is off his list. infrastructure stuff, i'm dubious as we get closer to 2016 republicans are going to want to make any more deals with barack obama. al: i think you are right. i hold out hope for an infrastructure deal since almost everyone says it is needed. how do you finance it is the complication. john: i don't want to be mean but i want to comment on that video we saw. 27 points in a game. i wonder if he is talking about basketball or that time he won bowling. al: that is so mean. was he riding high today. john: he was. he was asked that question, he talked about last week in measured terms, didn't take a victory lap, then after the

president of brazil answered a question he came back to the previous question had talked about the astonishment and enjoyment he had of seeing the white house late in rainbow colors the other night after the supreme court ruling. he had a big smile on his face. evidence of satisfaction. that was a striking moment. the brazen, the amazing chris christie. his biggest moments from his announcement after this. ♪

john: today was the biggest day for the garden state since snooki got ordained as a minister. that is a real fact. we are doing a deep dive of chris christie's presidential campaign announcement. christie being christie, saying running for president isn't a high school popularity contest.

chris christie: i want to promise you a few things. a campaign without spin or without pandering, focus group tested answers. you get what i think whether you like it or not. whether it makes you cringe. a campaign when i am asked a question i'm going to give the answer to the question that is asked, not the answer my consultants told me to give backstage. [applause] a campaign that every day will not worry about what is popular but what is right because what is right is what will fix america, not what is popular. john: you have been covering campaigns since the magna carta. in your history have you seen a campaign without spin or pandering?

how well do you think christie sold that vision and whether it will work for him on the campaign trail? al: i really have vents. a little bit with mccain. i sort of doubt this in-your-face smack down style will work but i have to tell you i love it. i was in a train with him in 2012 and he told me a story about newt gingrich when he appointed a muslim judge to demand that christie withdraw that. christie wouldn't talk to him. christie told staff he just doesn't understand sharia law. newt gingrich running for president, he's trying to call christie to ask for support. he said tell him i don't understand -- john: i think i know what that means that you can't say it on tv. the question that everyone has

is whether that appeal will wear well, the weather that appeal will wear well outside of new jersey, whether it is a enough at this point. when he was a success story riding high that style seemed to be something people liked and could tolerate. when you are down in the polls and trying to claw back whether that brashness, whether that will seem more desperate than strong. that is one of the big questions i had. al: the closest analogy is rudy giuliani. he was a colossal failure. john: let's look at another piece of video. this is a list of highlights his highlight reel for the garden state. chris christie: unlike some people who offer themselves for the presidency in 2016, you are not going to have to wonder whether i can do it or not. in new jersey as governor i

stood up against economic calamity and unprecedented national disaster. we balanced six budgets in a row, we make difficult decisions to reform pensions and continue the fight today. we have stood together against each and every person, every cynic who said why are you wasting your time, this state is not governable, we prove not only should you go for the state, you can lead it to a better day and that was what we have done together. john: if we were in a courtroom and i just heard that speech i would say counselor i object. then i would say you have had nine credit rating downgrade since you have been in all those, 0% economic growth in the past year, and unemployment rate over the national average. are we talking about the same new jersey here? what say you about chris christie's ability to sell an

ugly fiscal and economic picture in new jersey talk in the way he did in the campaign. al: that's going to be difficult. if he gets on the stage with rick perry or john kasich, his record is going to look dismal by comparison. he's going to try to do it by being a tough guy but at some point those facts are going to catch up with him. al: people asked me whether it is a problem for chris christie that his approval ratings are down 30%. i say the number doesn't matter. what it reflects is the problem. the fact that a lot of people in new jersey saw him score apparent victories like pension reform and the budget in his first term and they all seem to have unraveled or have had little effect on the state's standing. every candidate wants to have a miracle, whether it is a massachusetts miracle or a colorado miracle.

it is hard for chris christie despite what he said today to claim that new jersey is any kind of miracle. al: i agree. 83 [indiscernible] john: it's a big number. let's take a look at chris christie talking about foreign policy with the shout out to his friend hillary clinton. chris christie: if we are going to lead, we have to stop worrying about being loved and start caring about being respected again both at home and around the world. there is only one indispensable force for good in the world. it is a strong, unequivocal america that will lead the world and not be afraid to tell our friends we will be with you no matter what and to tell our adversaries that are limits to your conduct and america will enforce the limits to that conduct. after seven years of a week and

feckless foreign policy run by barack obama, we better not turn it over to his second mate hillary clinton. [applause] john: i had no idea she was his second mate. here is the saying. all these candidates have very little foreign policy experience free chris christie is no different great a lot of the things he is saying are going to find a receptive audience. one of the weak spots in the obama administration has been foreign policy. given all of that, whether the problem that christie is going to have selling that tough talk is the fact that his foreign policy background is so limited and the times he has left the country like when he went to london he got in trouble by talking about vaccinations and getting off message. what say you about him as a foreign policy candidate? al: it might appeal not just to

primary voters that generic election voters if isis continues its horrors, if putin continues to be a thug. they will look for someone with good judgment on that. ronald reagan faced that same issue and it wasn't until the last couple weeks of the campaign he persuaded people i'm not going to be a reckless foreign-policy president. it chris christie gets near that point he is going to offer that reassurance. john: we were talking earlier when he was doing this announcement, we both agree chris christie has a narrow path to the nomination. it is not but it is a narrow path. he has the advantage of having a singular focus. he's going to go to new hampshire, campaign like crazy in one state, there is no fertile ground for him, he will do townhall meeting after town hall meeting. he is good in that setting.

he will try to get into those debates were he might be able to shine. talk about the other candidates you have seen in the past two have run that pure new hampshire strategy have succeeded and failed, and talk about whether chris christie -- which side of the line he will fall on. al: the only that succeeded was john mccain in 2008 and 2000. it is a more daunting challenge for christie. he is as good as you said. he will do good in those town hall meetings. i think if i am john kasich, lindsey graham, that is my strategy. the competition will be greater than the senator from arizona face. john: because of the fact there are so many candidates in the race for anybody in the establishment bracket who is not -- does not have strong ties to the evangelical community, not culture warriors, new hampshire is the only game in town. it is a crowded field with these people including jeb bush who --

for whom new hampshire is a must win state. he's going to have to plow through strong candidates and he will need a win in new hampshire. al: i totally agree. if he doesn't win or come close second in the granite state he is dead. john: thank you. we'll come back in one moment with a limited time offer. chris christie box set, greatest hits after this. ♪

john: there is no candidate like chris christie. his term bombasts and produced a box set. we prepared this collection just for you. chris christie: i mean what i say and say what i mean. >> he isn't afraid to tell it like it is. now you will be telling your friends about telling it like it is. chris christie: sit down and shut up.

>> all your favorite christie heads on a 12 cd set. >> get off the beach. >> less than the cost of crossing the gw bridge for you get these and more. chris christie: it is none of your business. i won't the cones. are you stupid? >> telling it like it is pretty been a best thing than being shouted down by the chris christie campaign stop. man up and pick up the phone idiot. john: i'm calling. i'm calling. we will be right back. ♪

john: you have heard the great harry shearer may be leaving the simpsons predict ted cruz doesn't win the nomination let's call this audition courtesy of buzzfeed. >> excellent.

john: we have jeff daniels on the show tomorrow. until next time, sayonara. ♪ we live in a pick and choose world. choose choose choose. but at bedtime? ...why settle for this? enter sleep number... don't miss the lowest prices of the season, going on now. sleepiq technology tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. you like the bed soft. he's more hardcore. so your sleep goes from good to great to wow!

only at a sleep number store. right now, find the lowest prices of the season with the c4 queen mattress set only $1499.98. know better sleep with sleep number. cory: uber -- what could signal heavy losses for the car booking behemoth. i'm cory johnson in for emily chang and this is "bloomberg west." robot revolution is on. we will talk about the future of the machine economy. solar powered ambition -- a pilot seeking a record setting journey. seems like it has been a long day -- it has. why the internet is bracing for the dreaded leap second.