By Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on March 03, 2016 at 8:33 PM, updated March 04, 2016 at 7:33 AM
TRENTON — Facing calls for his resignation and scrutiny over his endorsement of Donald Trump for president, Gov. Chris Christie stood at a podium for nearly two hours Thursday and answered questions about a slew of topics during a sprawling Statehouse news conference.
Here is a closer look at what he discussed:
1. His focus on New Jersey
Christie was repeatedly criticized for spending so much time out of state on his own presidential campaign. Then after endorsing Donald Trump last week and campaigning for him, af few irked Republican state lawmakers called on Christie to either get off the trail or step down.
But Christie stressed Thursday that he has been in New Jersey 19 of the 22 days since ending his White House bid. He emphasized that he will not be “a full-time surrogate for Donald Trump.” And, he said, he has “absolutely no intention” to resign.
“I am here,” he said. “I am back to work.”
Amid rumors he could be Trump’s pick for vice president or U.S. attorney general, Christie said he is “not interviewing (for) or considering any other public job” and plans to finish his second and final term as governor.
2. Why he is backing Trump
Some supporters said they felt betrayed when Christie threw his support behind Trump, whom he once said was “unfit” to be president and whom many establishment GOP members say is a danger to the party.
But Christie said he and Trump have been friends for 14 years and that the billionaire businessman and former Atlantic City casino tycoon has the best shot among the Republican field at beating Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the general election.
The governor added that his endorsement “doesn’t change me being serious and policy-minded and all those things.”
“But I have to make a choice,” he said. “I don’t sit on the sidelines. I don’t wait for other people to make things happen. I try to make things happen. So now I’m trying to make things happen to make sure Hillary Clinton doesn’t become president of the United States.”
3. Why his campaign failed
Christie gave several reasons for why his campaign for president failed: He couldn’t raise enough money, which made it hard to respond to attack ads in New Hampshire. There were too many candidates in the race. And there was Trump.
“If he had not been in the race,” Christie said, “I would have been the nominee.”
4. About those newspapers
Christie ‘not surprised’ at The Star-Ledger calling for his resignationGov. Chris Christie comments on his reaction to two of the state’s largest newspapers calling for his resignation. The N.J. governor held a press conference on March 2, 2016 to talk about jobs and employment in the state. (Courtesy NJTV)
Shortly after Christie’s Trump endorsement, Joseph McQuaid, the publisher of the New Hampshire Union Leader, said the governor swore to him weeks before he would not endorse the businessman. But Christie said he did not lie.
Christie said McQuaid called him two days after the governor placed sixth in the New Hampshire primary election. McQuaid wanted to know if it was true Christie was endorsing Trump that day.
“I said, ‘Absolutely not true. I am not endorsing anyone,'” the governor recalled. “It was two days after the primary.”
Christie said when he ultimately decided to throw his support behind Trump, “I knew Joe was going to mad. But I made a choice. He obviously doesn’t like Donald Trump.”
The Union Leader had endorsed Christie, but after the Trump endorsement, it retracted and declared, “Boy were we wrong.”
Christie also slammed The Star-Ledger, which called on him to resign Thursday morning. He said the paper “never supported me, my policies, or my existence.”
Star-Ledger columnist Tom Moran responded by saying the paper backed him in his 2013 re-election bid, as well as on pension reform, a property tax cap, and more.
Can’t wait for Governor Christie to explain to NJ voters how public sector unions are trying to destroy the state with the stupid status quo losers they support in Trenton.
if we want to make NJ great again, the union toadies in Trenton have to go. Time for Sweeney, Sarlo and Prieto to stop stealing from us