VIDEO: What Does Chris Christie Have to Gain by Endorsing Donald Trump?

What does Chris Christie have to gain by endorsing Donald Trump? It’s hard to imagine Christie being anyone’s vice president. So is he angling to be attorney general in a Trump administration? Maybe.

Guardian contributor Chris R. Barron doesn’t think Christie has any animosity toward Marco Rubio, whose moment in the spotlight after Thursday’s Republican debate was summarily ended by Christie’s endorsement. But if Christie does want in on a Trump administration, he certainly served his cause by redirecting the media’s attention away from a triumphant Rubio.

For Trump, the significance of this endorsement can’t be understated, not because Christie is going to sway many voters – he won’t. Sure, he will be a helpful surrogate and attack dog on the trail and on television. But the endorsement’s true importance is that it blunts Rubio’s momentum and puts the spotlight back on Trump, who is winning in almost every Super Tuesday state and just needs to run out the clock.

Not only does the Christie endorsement take the spotlight off of Rubio, but it also signals that the establishment isn’t monolithic in its support for Rubio. Christie was once a rising star in the Republican party, a governor elected in deep blue New Jersey, whose endorsement was much coveted during the 2012 primary. His endorsement – coupled with Trump’s first congressional endorsements this week – shows that at least certain pockets of the Republican establishment are beginning to warm up to the idea of President Donald Trump.

Rubio got 12 hours to enjoy the spotlight after Thursday night’s debate. Now it’s back to regularly scheduled programming: the Trump Show.

—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.