Gov. Chris Christie has dropped a bombshell that may well transform the presidential race. He’s stepped out of the political shadows to stand center stage with Donald Trump and hand the Republican front-runner his most significant endorsement yet.
“I am proud to be here to endorse Donald Trump for president of the United States. I’m doing this for a number of reasons. First is that Donald and I, along with Melania and Mary Pat, have been friends for over a decade. He has been a good and loyal friend to our family as we have been to he and his family. And over the years we’ve had a lot of wonderful times together, done a lot of good together for not only the people of the state of New Jersey, the people for many charities we’ve worked with and on together and I absolutely appreciate him as a person and as a friend,” Christie said.
“Secondly, I’ve been on that stage. I’ve gotten to know all the people on that stage. And there is no one who is better prepared to provide America with the strong leadership that it needs, both at home and around the world, than Donald Trump. He is, looking at the five people on that stage last night, the clear standout and the person who will do exactly what needs to be done to make America a leader around the world again. He’ll provide strong, unequivocal leadership, he will do what needs to be done to protect the American people, first and foremost, both in the homeland and in creating jobs for this country. And he will make sure that people around the world know that America keeps its word again,” he continued.
“Donald Trump is someone who, when he makes a promise, he keeps it. I’ve experienced that over my long friendship with him and what the American people and our allies around the world are going to understand is that Donald Trump is someone who keeps his word and that means America will keep its word again. Third, there is no doubt in my mind, and I’ve been saying this right from the time I entered the campaign, that the single most important thing for the Republican Party is to nominate the person who gives us the best chance to beat Hillary Clinton. I can guarantee you that the one person that Hillary and Bill Clinton do not want to see on that stage come next September is Donald Trump. They know how to run the standard political playbook against junior senators and run them around the block. They do not know the playbook with Donald Trump because he is rewriting the playbook. He’s rewriting the playbook of American politics because he’s providing strong leadership that’s not dependent upon the status quo. And so the best person to beat Hillary Clinton in November on that stage last night is undoubtedly Donald Trump,” Christie said.
“And so I am thrilled to be here this morning to lend my support. I will lend my support between now and November in every way that I can for Donald to help to make this campaign an even better campaign than it’s already been. And then to help him do whatever he needs to do to help to make the country everything that we want it to be for our children and grandchildren. He’s a good friend, he is a strong and resolute leader and he is someone who is going to lead the Republican Party to victory in November over Hillary Clinton, which is the single most important thing we can do. So I thank him for his friendship. I thank him for all the kindnesses that we’ve shared with each other over the years. But more importantly than that, I thank him for leaving the private sector, for seeing that there was a need for strong leadership in this country and for being willing to step out of the private sector and come and offer himself for public service and for leadership in this country at a time when our party and our nation so desperately needs it. So I’m happy to be on the Trump team and I look forward to working with him,” said Christie.
NJTV News Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron, Democratic Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter and Republican Assemblyman Robert Auth spoke with Anchor Mary Alice Williams about the endorsement.
Aron said Christie’s endorsement is significant because he’s the first mainstream Republican to offer his support to Trump.
Sumter called the endorsement “alarming”, “polarizing” and not indicative of the views of Christie’s constituents in New Jersey.
Auth said Trump is hitting on nerves not only important to Republicans, but also 27 percent of polled Democrats, who he said are ready for a change.