New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is eyeing the Republican National Committee (RNC) chair position after current chair Reince Priebus accepted a position in the Donald Trump administration as chief of staff, according to Politico [1]‘s Alex Isenstadt.
Isenstadt noted, “One person said the governor had embarked on an aggressive, ‘full-court press’ in hopes of getting the chairmanship. Christie began seriously considering the job over the last week and has concluded that he would be a solid fit, several of his aides said.”
The consideration of Christie, who was recently eased out of Trump’s transition, interestingly after the conviction of Christie’s former aides over “Bridgegate,” is not the first name that comes to mind when thinking RNC chair:
The governor was an early supporter of Trump after dropping out of the presidential race in February, but has had a rocky relationship with his transition team as of late. Christie had been overseeing the transition but was booted from the post last month in favor of Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Some Trump aides believe Christie did a poor job overseeing the process; others said he clashed with Jared Kushner, Trump’s influential son-in-law.
As Christie’s prospects for a job in the Trump administration have dimmed in recent weeks, he has downplayed interest in a position, saying he intends to serve out the remainder of his term as governor, which expires in January 2018.
The governor huddled with the president-elect last month in New Jersey, where they discussed several possible still-vacant cabinet posts, including secretary of homeland security, according to two people briefed on the meeting. Christie, however, has told his aides he isn’t interested in the job.
If Christie wasn’t a good fit in the Trump administration — something many blame on Kushner who has Trump’s ear and appears not to have a soft spot for Christie who jailed Kushner’s dad [2]in 2004 — it may be unrealistic to expect him to be taken seriously as chair.
Christie prosecuted Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner, in 2004 when he served as U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. The elder Kushner pleaded guilty to “crimes of greed, power, and excess,” according to the New York Times.
Other sources [3], however, have suggested Trump’s team is behind a Christie run at RNC chair.
Stay tuned … this could get interesting.