Chris Christie says he declined offer to be Trump’s next chief of staff

Chris Christie said Friday he was taking himself out of the running to be President Trump’s next chief of staff.

“It’s an honor to have the president consider me as he looks to choose a new White House chief of staff,” the former Jersey governor said in a statement.

“However, I’ve told the president that now is not the right time for me or my family to undertake this serious assignment. As a result I have asked him to no longer keep me in any of his considerations for this post.”

A source said that first son-in-law Jared Kushner would have put the kibosh on Christie’s candidacy anyway because as a federal prosecutor Christie had prosecuted his father Charles, who wound up behind bars.

“Blood’s thicker than water. You think Jared Kushner is going to put Christie in office after he put his father in jail,” the source asked, sounding incredulous.

Trump’s search for a new White House chief of staff is now centered around Kushner and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Reuters reported Friday.

Trump has no deadline for deciding on a replacement for John Kelly, whose departure as chief of staff was announced last week, and, as always, he could change his mind, the source said.

Christie is at least the third candidate to take himself out of the running.

Nick Ayers, Trump’s first choice who served the same role for Vice President Pence, turned him down, and conservative North Carolina GOP Rep. Mark Meadows also took his name out of the running.

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