President Trump has reportedly been making late-night calls to Chris Christie


After a failed presidential bid and repeated humiliations at the hands of President Trump, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has his eyes set on the White House once more. While previously named to head the White House's new commission to battle drug addiction, Christie has clearly always yearned for more, and as the deeply unpopular governor's final eight months in office begin, he has both refocused on New Jersey while remaining in close touch with Trump, Politico reports:
[Christie] recently spent much of two days in the Oval Office, where Trump asked him about his administration's performance and even dispatched him to see different White House officials and report back, according to a White House aide and one other person briefed on the conversations. He also frequently talks to a number of top aides in Trump's orbit.[…] Trump often calls Christie at night, one administration official said, and will sometimes tell aides what "Chris says" after their conversations. Trump respects Christie, one person close to both men say, because the governor doesn't mince words — unlike some of the president's aides. [Politico]
Publicly, at least, Christie hasn't been afraid to show the Trump administration some tough love, calling stumbles by the president's inner circle "unacceptable" and blasting Trump's controversial travel ban rollout as "haphazard."
"I would make [the travel ban] even more tailored if I were advising the president on this directly," Christie observed at the time.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
June 1 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's golden comb-over, brain drain in America, and a new TACO presidential seal.
-
5 cartoons about the TACO trade
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on America's tariffs, Vladimir Putin waiting for taco Tuesday, and a new presidential seal
-
A city of culture in the high Andes
The Week Recommends Cuenca is a must-visit for those keen to see the 'real Ecuador'
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges