When Wolf Blitzer asked Gov. Chris Christie at tonight’s debate if he would order the command to shoot down a Russian plane if it violated a no-fly zone, the New Jersey governor did not hesitate.

“Not only would I be prepared to do it, I would do it,” Christie said.

He continued to hammer this point home, contrasting his leadership with that of President Obama.

“Yes, we would shoot down Russian pilots, if they were stupid enough to think that this president was the same feckless, weakling that the president we have in the Oval Office right now.”

Sen. Rand Paul, concerned by Christie’s hawkish tone, told the American people that if you want “World War Three,” vote for Christie. A president should practice judgment, not recklessness, Paul said.

The Kentucky senator has often been identified as an “isolationist” by his GOP opponents, including Sen. Lindsey Graham at tonight’s earlier debate.

As a means of depicting Christie as a bully, Paul also brought up “bridgegate,” which solicited boos from the audience.