Chris Christie endorses Donald Trump

JUDY WOODRUFF: Those were extensions of the charges and countercharges that lit up last night’s Houston debate, with Rubio and Cruz trying to slow Trump’s momentum, first on immigration.

What does Chris Christie have to gain by endorsing Donald Trump?

In a series of television interviews, the USA senator from Florida said working-class voters are being fooled by Trump’s lofty promises, despite his own string of lawsuits and the bankruptcies of Trump-related companies.

The Daily News has skewered Trump repeatedly over the course of his campaign.

Today’s surprise announcement was Christie’s endorsement of Trump, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Chris Christie backed Donald Trump in the Republican race for president Friday, a powerhouse endorsement as the billionaire tries to beat back assaults on his character from a newly aggressive rival, Marco Rubio.

Christie pulled out of the White House race two weeks ago, after a dismal showing in the nomination contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, where he finished 10th and sixth, respectively. Cruz and his team are now laser-focused on Super Tuesday, where they expect to win Cruz’s home state of Texas, though Trump is likely to sweep elsewhere.

“I speak for myself, but the governor is the leader of the Republican Party in the state of New Jersey”, Gaburo said. Trump leads the Republican pack with 45 percent in the Sunshine State, followed by Rubio at 25 percent.

“Desperate people do desperate things”, Christie said. “I am really proud to receive the support of the Governor and his family”, Trump said.

But as he has so many times during the campaign, Trump found a way to turn the attention back to himself just hours later, with the Christie endorsement.

“I’ve been on that stage”. The contest is dramatically shifting toward Trump, who is leading in opinion polls in almost all 11 states set to make their choices on next Tuesday. “I go and I slip up something, not using a teleprompter, not being scripted – they hammer me for it”.

“His excuse that he’s being audited – look that makes it even more important for him to release his taxes”, Cruz added.

Rubio also charged that Trump’s excuse for not releasing his taxes – that he’s in the middle of an IRS audit – was a cover to hide how much he’s really worth. Christie, like most successful politicians, is a pragmatist, not an idealist.