Donald Trump declared victory Tuesday, and all anyone could talk about was Chris Christie's sad face

Chris Christie&#039;s sad face trumped Trump&#039;s victory speech

(Image credit: Getty Images)

last updated 2 March 2016

Donald Trump held a victory rally and press conference in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday night, after dominating the Republican Super Tuesday primaries. Gov. Chris Christie (N.J.), who endorsed him last Friday, introduced Trump, then stood behind him for Trump's entire speech. It was not a joyful-looking introduction, and Christie didn't appear any happier standing behind Trump.

One theory for Christie's sad faces was that he was filled with remorse:

But the more popular explanation, summarized in the hashtag #FreeChrisChristie, was that Trump is holding Christie under duress:

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Christie, who suddenly started calling the GOP frontrunner Mr. Trump, eventually showed a smile. But that didn't end the hostage hashtag:

Or maybe for Christie, anywhere is better than New Jersey tonight — even standing behind his erstwhile rival.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.