Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has accepted a contributor position with ABC News less than two weeks after the conclusion of his rocky gubernatorial term.
The career move, first reported by NJ.com, was announced during the 7 a.m. hour on “Good Morning America.” Christie is scheduled to return to the air Tuesday night to comment on President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
Christie was selected for the position due to his proximity to Trump and his inner circle, a source told NJ.com. Christie’s connection to the administration and his understanding of Trump voters should prove valuable to the network in the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections.
The newly signed pundit left office on Jan. 16 after an eight year term, the end of which was marred by historically low approval ratings. He was replaced by Democrat Phil Murphy, who has plans for a significant leftward shift in the state’s politics on everything from taxation to marijuana legalization.
Initially considered a presidential hopeful in 2012, Christie’s political prospects began to decline after the 2013 “Bridgegate” scandal, in which Christie’s former staffers shut down traffic on the George Washington bridge for five days to punish a local Mayor who refused to support Christie’s reelection. Christie denies any role in the incident but two of his former staffers have been indicted.
Christie’s approval ratings reached 15 percent in June 2017 before he was photographed enjoying a state-owned beach with his family during a July 4 government shutdown that prevented his fellow New Jerseyans from visiting the state beaches.
Christie was asked to guest host a local sports radio show over the summer, prompting speculation that the embattled former governor might trade politics for sports. The guest hosting gig devolved into hostility after one caller told Christie he was “a fat ass” and a “bully” in response to the government shutdown beach trip.
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