Christie named head of Trump transition team
Gov. Christie has gained a title from Donald Trump's campaign: chairman of transition team. Trump named Christie on Monday to the team, which the campaign predicted would be officially implemented after a general election win.
Gov. Christie has gained a title from Donald Trump's campaign: chairman of transition team.
Trump named Christie on Monday to the team, which the campaign predicted would be officially implemented after a general election win.
"Gov. Christie is an extremely knowledgeable and loyal person with the tools and resources to put together an unparalleled transition team, one that will be prepared to take over the White House when we win in November," Trump said in a statement.
The announcement follows the departure of Trump's GOP rivals from the presidential race, leaving the real estate mogul as the last candidate standing.
Some conservative and establishment leaders have declined to support Trump's candidacy.
"Trump is in the middle of a battle with his own party and very eager to convey the message that he is the nominee, this is about the fall campaign, and Republicans should be thinking about defeating [Hillary] Clinton," said Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University.
By putting Christie in charge of the transition, Trump "gives some sense that he is bringing in seasoned political officials to work with him and to shift the story toward transitioning toward a Trump victory in November," Zelizer said.
In 2012, Republican Mitt Romney named his transition team chairman in June. In 2008, details about the transition teams of Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama emerged in September, but the campaigns were reluctant to discuss them publicly, according to reports.
On Monday, Trump's campaign - which described Christie as "a loyal supporter and confidant" to the candidate - said the governor would oversee "an extensive team of professionals preparing to take over the White House, and all that entails, in the fall."
The New York Times reported Friday that Trump had asked his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to work on a "blueprint" for a prospective transition team. Kushner is the son of developer and Democratic fund-raiser Charles Kushner, whom Christie - a former U.S. attorney - once prosecuted for tax evasion, making illegal campaign donations, and witness tampering. Charles Kushner was sentenced to two years in jail in 2005.
A Trump spokeswoman did not respond to a question Monday afternoon on what role Jared Kushner was playing with the transition team.
While Trump's campaign had directed questions about the transition team announcement to Christie's communications director, Christie spokesman Brian Murray said, "You have to go back to the Trump campaign."
Christie was an early endorser of Trump, throwing his support to his former rival 16 days after dropping out of the race in February.
He has since turned up at Trump campaign events - standing behind the businessman during primary-night speeches - and has been a presence at political meetings, traveling with Trump to Indiana to meet with Gov. Mike Pence.
Trump, meanwhile, is expected to travel to New Jersey next week to appear at a Lawrenceville fund-raiser for Christie's presidential campaign - which is still carrying debt - and the New Jersey GOP.
Trump's selection of Christie to his transition team is "a reflection on a close working relationship that Trump feels that he has with Christie, but also a reflection on the level of trust between the two," said Kevin Madden, a GOP strategist who advised Romney's 2012 campaign.
Christie is a "unique fit" for the job, Madden said, given his experience in government and in campaigns.
Christie's new title drew mockery from partisan opponents in Trenton. "He just became the captain of the Titanic," said Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester).
Pundits - and Trump himself - have described Christie as a potential candidate for a Trump administration job. "I think Christie remains in the mix for everything," Zelizer said.
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Staff writer Andrew Seidman contributed to this article.