Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) turned heads at a press conference in Texas on Friday, where he announced that he is supporting Donald Trump for his bid for the 2016 presidency, saying that he is "the best person to beat Hillary Clinton in November."
"The single most important thing for the Republican Party is to nominate the person who gives us the best chance to beat Hillary Clinton," Christie said, according to NBC News. "I can guarantee that the one person Hillary and Bill Clinton don't want to see on that stage come next September is Donald Trump."
"He is rewriting the playbook of American politics because he is providing strong leadership that is not dependent upon the status quo. The best person to beat Hillary Clinton in November is undoubtedly Donald Trump," Christie added.
Trump and Christie only appeared once on the same stage together and when they did, they zeroed on Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), reported CNN. The attacks were largely successful, appearing to bother Rubio so much that he spent the following morning insulting Trump.
Though Trump laid off Rubio, Christie never let up. He specifically targeted Rubio as not being qualified for the office and there was no love lost between the two, even after Christie withdrew from the race following a sixth-place finish in New Hampshire. According to three insiders familiar with the matter, Christie was deeply angry with Rubio and blamed his "super PAC" for impeding his momentum in New Hampshire in December with a series of "slash-and-burn" ads.
Coincidentally, the endorsement came a day after Christie's old rival truly went after Trump for the first time during a debate, and continued the following morning, calling him a "con-artist," according to The New York Times.
Trump welcomed the endorsement during the Texas press conference, saying, "He's been my friend for many years, he's been a spectacular governor."
"Generally speaking I'm not big on endorsements," Trump said, adding, "This was an endorsement that really meant a lot."
