Donald Trump scored a key endorsement from Chris Christie on Friday, dramatically changing the narrative of the presidential race less than a day after the billionaire businessman came under attack in a fiery GOP debate.
“I’ve been on that stage. I’ve gotten to know all the people on that stage,” the New Jersey governor said in an appearance with the Republican front-runner in Fort Worth, Texas, referring to the remaining candidates.
“And there is no one better prepared to provide America with the strong leadership that it needs both at home and around the world than Donald Trump.”
Christie, who dropped out of the race after finishing a dismal sixth in the New Hampshire primary, said the brash real-estate mogul was the only Republican candidate who could beat Hillary Clinton in November.
“I can guarantee you that the one person that Bill and Hillary don’t want to see on that stage in November is Donald Trump,” Christie said.
“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.
“The best person to beat Hillary Clinton in November is undoubtedly Donald Trump.”
The surprise announcement came a day after a contentious debate in which Trump was targeted by Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who both face survival tests in Super Tuesday’s primaries.
Trump gushed over Christie’s endorsement, which grabbed the spotlight from Rubio’s aggressive performance in the debate.
“Generally speaking, I’m not big on endorsements. This was one endorsement that really meant a lot,” he said. “Chris is an outstanding man, with an outstanding family. He’s done a great job, and I think this is the one endorsement that I felt very strongly about that I wanted to get.”
It wasn’t always hugs and kisses between the two.
“Donald’s a great guy and a good person. But I just don’t think that he’s suited to be president of the United States,” Christie had told Fox News host Greta Van Susteren last year.
“I don’t think his temperament is suited for that, and I don’t think his experience is.”
And Trump attacked Christie when both were in the race.
“How is Chris Christie running the state of NJ, which is deeply troubled, when he is spending all of his time in NH? New Jerseyans not happy!” he said on Twitter in November.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Christie’s backing would mean more mainstream Republican endorsements for Trump, who leads in the polls.
“This Chris Christie endorsement of Trump is real signal to GOP establishment that they had better begin thinking about Trump as the future,” he tweeted.
Republican strategist Doug Heye agreed.
“If you’re the Trump campaign, this is obviously very good news, and it gives permission for others to endorse,” he told Reuters.
But a strategist for Jeb Bush, who dropped out of the race after repeated clashes with Trump, wasn’t impressed.
“New lesson kids: sometimes, the best option for the fat kid is to just hand his lunch money over to the bully!” David Kochel cracked on Twitter.