Chris Christie Meets With Donald Trump About Vacant Chief Of Staff Position
President Donald Trump’s search for a new chief of staff may be narrowing — and it may include a former political rival.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie met with Trump on Thursday evening to discuss the position, according to reporting from Bloomberg. The two met while first lady Melania Trump welcomed guests to a White House Christmas party.
Christie and Trump were once short-lived political rivals, as both had run for the Republican Party’s nomination for president during the 2016 campaign. Christie dropped out of the race in February, and immediately endorsed Trump as the next best choice — a move that the current president will likely consider when he makes his final decision.
Trump said on Thursday that he’s narrowed his search to replace outgoing White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to just a few names. “Five people, really good ones. Terrific people, mostly well known, but terrific people,” he said.
The search has been a difficult one, reporting from Mediate has pointed out, as many would-be names that have been considered said they weren’t interested in the position, following disastrous news for the president last week and this current one regarding the progress that has been made in the Russia investigation being led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
JUST IN: Trump, Chris Christie reportedly meet to discuss chief of staff post https://t.co/0FoJXwaWf3 pic.twitter.com/H9zDgWvUkx
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) December 14, 2018
Trump reportedly “doesn’t know what to do” about filling the position. Kelly has indicated that he would be stepping aside by the end of the year.
Trump has had a difficult time finding a replacement for Kelly, and while Christie may seem like a logical fit to the position, it may come with its own set of new dramas, especially when it comes to Trump’s family. Christie was a federal prosecutor who helped spearhead the conviction of Charles Kushner, the father of White House adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Charles Kushner was convicted of 18 counts of tax fraud and witness tampering in the early 2000s, reports USA Today. Christie was the prosecutor on the case. Christie was later elected as governor of New Jersey in 2010 and served until 2018.
There’s no set time frame yet for who Trump could choose to become his next chief of staff. Whoever it is will become the sitting president’s third chief of staff in just under two years of being president. Trump has indicated in recent days that he wants someone to serve in the role for at least the next two years, previous reporting from the Inquisitr noted.
