Christie, in about-face, endorses former GOP rival Trump

I originally said I’d like it to be a governor, but unfortunately, the American people are not going for a governor this year.

Senator Marco Rubio’s attempt to win over New Jersey governor Chris Christie has backfired spectacularly, with the former candidate endorsing Trump this week.

“His excuse that he’s being audited – look that makes it even more important for him to release his taxes”, Cruz added.

Donald Trump, left, and Chris Christie talk together following the CNN Republican presidential debate at the Venetian Hotel & Casino on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015, in Las Vegas.

There has been a shift in support for a controversial Mr Trump who has now won three straight nominating contests in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

General election are expensive. He’s never faced any struggle.

“I think part of it is he’s not as rich as he says he is”, Rubio said.

Trump regularly tells voters he’s self-funding his campaign, a claim he reiterated Friday night at a campaign rally in Oklahoma City, touting the unorthodox move as a sign that he won’t be beholden to big donors and special interests.

The other remaining GOP candidates are Florida U.S. Sen. He argues he is the only GOP candidate who has shown the ability to defeat Trump in any state, pointing to his victory February 1 in the Iowa caucuses.

“This guy’s got more coverage on this network by a multiple of five or six than any of the rest of us, and he says he is being treated unfairly?”

“We have a con-artist as the front-runner in the Republican Party – a guy who has made a career out of telling people lies so that they come in and buy his product or whatever he does”, Rubio said.

“I don’t think he’s of presidential caliber”.

But on Friday, Christie declared their rivalry in the past, saying that “that part of this is over”.

“A con artist is about to take over the Republican Party and the conservative movement”, Rubio charged on CBS’ “This Morning”. Taking the cue, Trump unleashed a raw assault on Marco Rubio, who went after him with fury on the debate stage the night before.

Christie endorsed Trump while Cruz was taping an episode of the Sean Hannity show before a live audience in Nashville. Christie famously damaged Rubio in his own final debate by pointing out that Rubio repeated one talking point multiple times.