ASBURY PARK, N.J. — When Chris Christie finished a dismal sixth place in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary three weeks ago, it looked like his role in the campaign cycle was over.
Hardly.
Christie is spending Super Tuesday on the road in Kentucky and Ohio to stump for Republican front-runner Donald Trump, whom Christie endorsed last week.
The development dashed any hopes that Christie would make his day job — governor of New Jersey — his overriding priority, at least not anytime soon.
Christie’s new role has upset both Republicans in the anti-Trump camp and Democrats who question Christie’s dedication to his job back home. The governor spent 261 full or partial days outside of New Jersey last year.
Christie refused to talk about the arrangement and his travel plans at a news conference in Trenton on Monday.
Tucker Martin, an adviser for strategy and communications for a super PAC that supported Christie’s own presidential bid, said in an interview on MSNBC that he’s unable to reconcile Christie’s move into the Trump tent.
“As much as I like Chris Christie, and I really do — I was honored to work for him (and) I thought he would make a great president — I sure hope his endorsement doesn’t help one bit,” Martin said. “Because I think Donald Trump is a very principled man. He’s principled on the fact that he should win everything. I don’t think he stands for anything.
“I think he’s a con artist. I think he’s a danger to the party. He’s a danger to the country,” Martin said of Trump. “So I hope it (Christie’s endorsement) didn’t help.’’
America Leads, where Martin worked until Christie suspended his presidential campaign Feb. 10, raised $19.7 million in support of the Christie campaign, according to a Jan. 31 federal report.
Super PACs such as America Leads are allowed to collect unlimited corporate, union and individual contributions as long as they do not coordinate with candidates to determine how to spend the money.
Middletown resident Phil Murphy, a likely 2017 contender for the Democratic New Jersey gubernatorial nomination, said Christie has no business being back on the road.
“Even after dropping out of the presidential race after receiving scant support from his fellow Republicans, he refuses to stay home and do his job,” Murphy said. “And now his reason for avoiding work is to support a candidate whose values are entirely out of step with the people of New Jersey. Enough is enough.”
Christie’s office in Trenton no longer provides details on his Trump-related travel schedule. Reporters are advised to check with Trump’s campaign for Christie’s whereabouts.
