Chris Christie, a failed presidential candidate who dropped out of the race after the New Hampshire primary, endorsed Donald Trump for president on Friday following a disastrous debate performance for Trump in Texas on Thursday night.
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The New Jersey governor told reporters in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday: “I will lend my support in every way between now and November for Donald to help in everything he needs”.
“This was an endorsement that really meant a lot”, he said, calling Christie an “outstanding man” and adding, “This is the one endorsement that I felt very strongly about I wanted to get”.
Christie pulled out of the White House race two weeks ago, after a dismal showing in the nomination contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, where he finished 10th and sixth, respectively. It also threatens Republican party establishment favorite Marco Rubio. The endorsement from Trump’s former friendly rival comes just ahead of next week’s Super Tuesday, the make-or-break moment for Donald Trump’s primary campaign.
The shift marked the beginning of a long-awaited Trump takedown effort that was cheered by anxious Republicans nationwide who question Trump’s party loyalty and fear he’s unelectable in a general election.
Trump joined the fight, saying Rubio is so nervous and shaky that he’s not fit to be president.
But they only dented Trump’s momentum, according to opinion polls and online betting markets. “But I don’t believe his endorsement of Donald Trump says much of anything about why I chose to endorse him”. Trump, also attending the conference, welcomed the endorsement and cited his history with the governor. “There’s no need for me to do that now”, Christie said at the time. He tore into Florida Senator Marco Rubio repeatedly at the announcement, after Rubio went on the attack against Trump at a debate last night in Houston.
Trump called Rubio a “total choke artist” and referenced his water break during his response to President Obama’s past State of the Union, referencing “that catastrophe”.
Trump’s opponents concede that it might take an extraordinary “brokered” national Republican convention in July to stop him at this point.
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Former Secretary of State Clinton is battling U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont for the Democratic nomination. “That ain’t happening. If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate and the trial was in the Senate, nobody could convict you”.
