Chris Christie Says He's Not Resigning, Not A Donald Trump 'Surrogate'

Gov. Chris Christie, responding to seven newspapers that have called for his resignation, said he has no plans to leave office and has no plans to become a “full-time surrogate” for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

Christie said those newspapers “set themselves on fire” by calling for his departure, saying he’s been in New Jersey for 19 of the 22 days since he quit the presidential race himself. He spent three days campaigning for Trump.

“Mr. Trump and I have been friends for 14 years. I believe he is the best person to beat Hillary Clinton,” he said during a press conference in Trenton.

Christie also responded to Republican lawmakers who suggested he should leave office if he plans to spend a majority of his time outside the state campaigning for Trump.

"I'm not going to do that," he said.

Christie said he also has no plans to work in a Trump administration, and that he plans to return to the private sector when his term expires in 2017.

“Chris Christie is not interviewing for another public sector job,” he said.

Christie responded to Internet mockery of his awkward-appearing appearance at Trump’s Super Tuesday press conference, saying “I’m not full time surrogate for the Trump campaign.”

Christie also said he was not being held “hostage,” as some on the Internet have joked, and chided those who played “armchair psychologists” and analyzed the way he looked.

He said he plans to be in New Jersey for the rest of the week, but expects to go out on the road to campaign for Trump again.