The Truth About Chris Christie And Donald Trump's Relationship

President Donald Trump and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie may have once been foes while competing for the Republican nomination in 2016, but the two actually have a close personal and professional relationship that spans over a decade.

Despite their friendship, Christie was displeased with his pal after Trump falsely tried to declare victory in the 2020 election before all the votes were counted. "There's just no basis to make that argument tonight. There just isn't," Christie said during Election Day coverage on ABC News. "All these votes have to be counted that are in now... Tonight, this was not the time to make this argument."

Although the New Jersey native is a close ally to the president, their relationship has often appeared to be a "one-way" street, per The New York Times, since Trump has publicly snubbed Christie on several occasions, such as overlooking him in favor of Mike Pence for vice president, pushing him out as head of the Trump transition team, and never offering him a spot in the Trump administration.

But there are no hard feelings. "I don't feel like he's been disloyal to me," the former governor told the Times. "It's been a long time he and I've been friends, and talking with each other, through a number of different jobs for me and a number of different situations and iterations for him." Keep scrolling for more details on Trump and Christie's complex relationship.

Some may see Chris Christie as a kiss-up when it comes to President Donald Trump, but while he still backs his friend, Christie has been openly critical of Trump's policies, practices, and constant brawl with the media. The former governor said Trump surrounds himself with "awful people" and called his hiring process a "rolling sh*t show" in a 2019 interview with The Atlantic. Additionally, he said Trump's call for a Muslim ban was "ridiculous" and "absolutely not what this country is about."

Despite their differences of opinion, Christie has still had Trump's back throughout the 2020 election. In fact, he even helped the president prepare for his debates against democratic nominee Joe Biden. It was during this debate prep that Christie contracted the coronavirus, and he has since said that it was "wrong" for him not to wear a mask or social distance during a global pandemic. While the president has downplayed the seriousness of the virus, he commended Christie's response. "Well, I mean, he has to say that. I think it's great, he's a friend of mine. He's a good guy," Trump said during a town hall in October 2020 (via Independent). It seems like their friendship is just as strong as ever.