Bob Jordan

Asbury Park Press

ELIZABETH, N.J. — Donald Trump has warned of “riots” if he fails to secure the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in July, but New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says Trump didn’t mean what everybody thinks he meant.

“I don’t think he meant literal riots. I think he meant political riots, and I think that is what would happen,’’ Christie said on Friday.

Christie has endorsed Trump and is one of the real estate tycoon’s top surrogates on the campaign trail. At a news conference at Trinitas Regional Medical Center on an unrelated topic, Christie walked back what Trump told CNN two days earlier.

“I think you’d have riots,” Trump said when addressing a Stop Trump movement among establishment Republicans designed to deny him the nomination at the convention in Cleveland.

“I think you’d have riots. I’m representing a tremendous many, many millions of people.”

Christie agreed Trump supporters would be angry but stopped there.

“If someone goes in with the most delegates, the most votes, and then they’re denied the nomination by what are considered political insiders, I think there would be real upset at that convention. I think that’s what he meant,’’ Christie said.

“It would be great upset and tumult at that convention if someone comes in very close to the majority and by far and away the most delegates and is denied the nomination,’’ he added. “The party are the people who belong to the party and vote in the primary. It’s not the people in Washington, D.C., and on K Street and on Capitol Hill in those offices.’’