Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) declined the White House chief of staff role on Friday, making him the latest high-profile candidate who’s no longer in the running for the influential post.
Christie and President Trump reportedly met Thursday evening to discuss the role of replacing current chief of staff John Kelly, who will be departing by the end of the year.
“It’s an honor to have the President consider me as he looks to choose a new White House chief-of-staff,” Christie wrote in a statement shared by Maggie Haberman of The New York Times on Friday. “However, I’ve told the President that now is not the right time for me or my family to undertake this serious assignment. As a result, I have asked not to be considered for this post.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The effort to name Kelly’s replacement suffered a setback earlier this week when Trump’s initial top pick for the job — Nick Ayers, chief of staff to Vice President Pence — turned down the offer. – READ MORE