LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. (AP) – Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, delivered a thank-you gift Thursday to the man who arguably risked the most to endorse him: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Trump held a fundraiser that he claimed would pay off the entirety of Christie’s debt from his presidential campaign.
The fundraiser, held at the National Guard Armory in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, had all the trappings of a typical Donald Trump rally: big flags, barricades to corral the press, a soundtrack filled with Elton John and the Rolling Stones. The only thing missing was Trump’s usual overflow crowd.
Christie, flanked by his wife and three of his four children, said he hoped the state’s June 7 primary would provide the votes and delegates to put Trump “officially over the top as the Republican nominee for president of the United States.”
Christie noted the two had once been rivals, but said he’d decided to endorse the business mogul because of their personal friendship. He said he told his wife: “We never ever make a mistake by standing with your friend. And Donald Trump is my friend.”