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Trump and Christie: Who Says You Can’t Buy Friends?

Trump fundraisers pay off Christie's campaign debt, Bridgegate legal fees


 

Remember when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called Donald Trump, “unfit to be president,” and Trump said Christie was a “weak,” “little boy” who had taken part in a criminal scheme ?  

That was all in the past Thursday, when Christie stood by Trump’s side at a fundraiser in Lawrenceville, New Jersey as the business-mogul-slash-presumptive-Republican-nominee announced he had just signed a big, fat check for Christie — and made a jab at Christie’s weight, just for old time’s sake.  

“You know, Chris paid off his entire campaign debt tonight, right? His entire debt,” Trump, told the crowd, according to media reports .  

That was shortly after Trump had interrupted a stump-speech anecdote about the Nabisco company to mock his former rival.

“You’re not eating Oreos anymore, are you?” he said, turning to Christie, with a laugh. “No more Oreos for either of us, Chris. Don’t feel bad.”
 


[New Jersey to Trump: Don’t Pick Christie]

Christie has been frequently ridiculed for his weight in spite of the pounds he shed after his 2013 gastric bypass surgery .  

Trump said he would use the proceeds from the $200-a-head rally in New Jersey to pay off the roughly $250,0000 in debt Christie had racked up during his aborted presidential campaign .  

The same night, Trump held a $25,000-a-ticket fundraiser for the New Jersey GOP. Part of the money from that event would go toward the more than $300,000 in debt left over from legal bills related to the George Washington Bridge lane closure scandal, The Record of Bergen County reported.  


[Release of Names in Christie Bridge Scandal Delayed]

The Manhattan billionaire even offered Christie’s wife Mary Pat a job in a potential Trump administration, the paper reported. Trump has already hired Christie to lead his transition team.  

Christie told that crowd he appreciated the many tokens of friendship, according to the Associated Press . He said he told his wife: “We never ever make a mistake by standing with your friend. And Donald Trump is my friend.”  

Contact Akin at stephanieakin@rollcall.com and follow her on Twitter at @stephanieakin.


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