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.
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.
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.
-
September 14 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include RFK Jr on the hook, the destruction of discourse, and more
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-war
Talking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
A tour of Sri Lanka’s beautiful north
The Week Recommends ‘Less frenetic’ than the south, this region is full of beautiful wildlife, historical sites and resorts
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants