New Jersey Governor Chris Christie shocked the political world by endorsing Donald Trump last Friday, but now he is the butt of their jokes. Christie introduced Trump before The Donald’s victory speech Tuesday night, and the governor’s facial expressions gave a glimpse at the heart of a truly desperate man. Worse, news broke that New Jersey newspapers are calling for his resignation, confirming his recent low approval ratings.
Chris Christie’s face right now pic.twitter.com/hmSzUxvaoZ
— Brian Ries (@moneyries) March 2, 2016
Weeks before endorsing Trump, Christie had attacked his temperament, his positions, and his very standing in the Republican race. At a New Hampshire town hall in late February, Christie intimated that a vote for Donald Trump equates to a vote for Hillary Clinton.
On Tuesday, however, Christie introduced “the next president of the United States, Donald Trump.” The governor sheepishly spent the entirety of Trump’s speech looking awkward and uncomfortable right behind The Donald. At one point, Trump joked with him, and Christie shook his head very seriously, mouthing “NO,” before realizing he was supposed to be happy.
.@realDonaldTrump jokes with @ChrisChristie about New Jersey https://t.co/eSMG0Km6iD #SuperTuesday https://t.co/lgZUKEslt8 — CNN (@CNN) March 2, 2016
While the New Jersey governor clearly meant to stand as a support for Trump, he ended up looking like The Donald’s lackey. A compelling case could also be made that Christie’s face bore the very first faint traces of a terrible understanding—that the governor had unleashed this monster upon the world, and he would be responsible for the end result. Some even joked darkly that Trump must have taken Christie’s family hostage.
That’s the fake laugh you do when the guy telling the jokes has your family hostage in the basement. https://t.co/WBehhtnGHu
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) March 2, 2016
But Chris Christie is tough — he can take a little mockery. More painful was the continuing assault on the former presidential candidate.
The latest poll last month gave Christie a 29 percent approval rating, a new low during his time as governor. After his endorsement of Trump, former Republican Governor Christine Todd Whitman was quoted as saying she was “ashamed” of Christie’s decision.
On Tuesday, the editorial boards of six New Jersey newspapers demanded Christie’s resignation. The news broke just as Christie was introducing Trump, causing quite a stir and adding to an already horrible night for the governor. The editorial boards alleged that Christie has spent 261 full or partial days outside of New Jersey since announcing his presidential run last year. They also accused Christie of billing the state of New Jersey for his security and other expenses on out-of-state trips, of denying reporters access, and of treating the press with contempt.
“New Jersey needs someone whose full attention is devoted to making life better for New Jersey’s citizens. That won’t happen until Christie steps down or is forced out,” the newspaper editors declared.
So yes, Ted Cruz may have only won two states, Marco Rubio one, and John Kasich and Ben Carson zero. But no one had a worse night than Chris Christie—and it seems like it was largely his own fault.
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