In a Q&A following President-elect Trump’s victory, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy warned that he will “fight to the death” against the administration if he discovers behavior that is “contrary to our values.”

“If we respect the peaceful transfer of power, if there is an attack on the Garden State or any of its communities from Washington, I will fight back with every fiber of my being,” Murphy said.

“If there is an opportunity to reach common ground, we will seize it as quickly as anyone,” he added conversely.

State House Minority Leader John DiMaio, R-Hackettstown, told Fox News Digital that Murphy is “missing the message” voters sent Tuesday with the initial rhetoric.

“It’s time for the governor to recognize that his values ​​may not reflect the values ​​of New Jerseyans as broadly as he thinks,” he said.

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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy meets with former President Trump. (Getty/File)

“While Murphy is willing to devote resources to political battles with Trump, it is difficult to see how that aligns with the priorities of struggling families, working taxpayers and business owners who want more attention to their needs,” DiMaio said.

Murphy, who will begin his final year in Trenton after Trump is inaugurated, called Trump his “uncanny ability to connect with people even when it’s not in their best interest” after the Republican came proverbially close to capturing the blue bastion had arrived.

While Murphy dismissed a reporter’s question about whether New Jersey would play a role in the future, he noted that Trump only lost by 4%, compared to 16% in 2020.

“I don’t believe we’re a swing state,” he said, adding that aside from Rep. Tom Kean Jr. along the Route 22 corridor, was pleased with the outcome of the vote. Kean is a Republican.

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He pointed to Republicans’ success in reporting on the immigration crisis, with the caveat that their winning rhetoric may not have matched the facts on the ground.

Trump won Passaic County, an ethnically diverse suburb of New York City, but the election was skewed for Democrats. Murphy called this an example of how voters personally prefer Trump over major Republicans.

He suggested the same was true in North Carolina, noting that Trump won the state but Democrat Attorney General Joshua Stein was elected governor.

“Just as it is our responsibility to continue to stand up to any threat to our state or our people, it is also our responsibility to seize every opportunity that presents itself to work with Trump to protect and protect the people of our state.” elevate. because that’s what responsible leaders do,” Murphy added.

He also credited Trump for quickly approving the new Portal North Railroad Bridge in Secaucus and assisting during the coronavirus pandemic.

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A view of the entrance to the Trump National Golf Club. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

As for his response to the Trump administration, Murphy said he took an inventive approach during the last administration, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly conducted raids in search of illegal immigrants.

“There was a time when ICE just randomly showed up on street corners and arrested brothers and sisters from the immigrant community,” Murphy said.

The governor, who lives in Middletown Township near Sandy Hook, said he heard that an “area near where I live was at risk.”

“I went there one night with my (security) detail and just hung around,” he said, noting that ICE didn’t show up at the time.

“Whether that deterred them or not, I don’t know, but it’s an example of a small step that we’re willing to try anything if it goes against our values.”

As the 2025 gubernatorial race to replace him looks set to escalate, Murphy said his three-point victory in 2021 for Democrats in the state may have been “the canary in the coal mine” for assessing the political landscape.