Donald Trump Had Expected To Drop Out In 2015, Endorse Chris Christie, New Book Says

President-elect Donald Trump expected to drop out of the presidential race by the end of 2015 and endorse Gov. Chris Christie, a new book has revealed.

That's one of the startling revelations in "Unprecedented: The Election that Changed Everything," CNN's upcoming book on the 2016 race that comes out Dec. 6.

According to the book, Trump told Christie in 2015 that he didn't expect to make it past October, "at which point he would endorse Christie," according to an anonymous Christie adviser who was quoted in the book.

In the book, written by CNN's Thomas Lake with reporting from Jodi Enda, Susan Baer and CNN's political team, the adviser says: "I think they always had an understanding that the first one out would probably endorse the other," the adviser said.

Instead, Christie dropped out after the New Hampshire primary, just days after a Republican presidential debate in which the New Jersey governor ripped Florida Sen. Marco Rubio — and drew praise from Trump for his attack-dog style.

Christie then turned around and endorsed Trump and became one of his chief surrogates. He was named to head Trump's presidential transition team, but he lost that job last week.

Read more about the book here.

Trump allegedly was disgusted with Christie’s handling of the Bridgegate scandal, so he demoted him to vice chair of the transition team, according to The New York Post.

“Trump thought it was shameful that Christie didn’t take the fall for [convicted aide] Bridget Kelly,” a source close to the transition team told The New York Post. “Trump is really angry that Christie is sending a soccer mom to jail. He believes 100 percent that Christie was behind it all.”

Christie faces a court date after a judge agreed to review a complaint that he engaged in official misconduct connected to the George Washington Bridge lane-closings scandal.

Read more: Impeach Gov. Chris Christie, Chief Lawmaker Says

Patch file photo