TRENTON -- Donald Trump originally chose Gov. Chris Christie as his pick for vice president this summer but withdrew the offer after advisers insisted the Bridgegate scandal would be a political liability, according to a report by the New York Post.

Though it had been reported that Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was initially leaning toward Christie, this was the first time it was reported Trump actually told the New Jersey governor the job was his.

Trump had narrowed his search for a running mate to three finalists -- Christie, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, or Indiana Gov. Mike Pence -- about a week before the Republican National Convention in July.

A number of Trump's top advisers pushed Trump to pick Pence, saying it would help him unify the fractured party and attract evangelical voters, according to the report, which cites unnamed sources.

But Trump and Christie -- who had been friends for years -- had a close relationship. Earlier in the year, Trump, a former Atlantic City casino magnate, even tapped the governor to run his transition team.

"Trump cares about who's the most loyal and who kisses his a** the most, not who's the most qualified and what's the best political decision," one source told the Post. "If it was up to him, it would have been Christie."

Christie contacted Trump on July 12 to make his case, saying he deserved the spot, a second source told the newspaper.

The governor "said all the BS that Trump likes to hear, and Trump said, 'Yeah, sure I'm giving it to you,'" the source added.

But Trump's then-campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was unhappy, and when Trump met with Pence in Indiana the next day, Manafort told Trump his plane had a problem, forcing him to spend another day there with Pence, according to the report.

Over dinner, Pence made his case, and Trump's advisers argued that the Bridgegate controversy surrounding Christie could hurt the campaign, the report said. The trial examining the matter was scheduled to begin in the weeks before Election Day.

"Trump had wanted Christie, but Bridgegate would have been the biggest national story," a third Trump source told the Post. "He'd lose the advantage of not being corrupt."

Trump chose Pence in the end, telling Christie it would "tear my family apart if I gave you VP," a source told the newspaper.

Brian Murray, a spokesman for Christie's office, deferred comment Sunday to Trump's campaign.

Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for the campaign, did not immediately return a message from NJ Advance Media seeking comment.

CBS News confirmed Sunday that Trump offered Christie the position before rescinding, also citing unnamed sources.

But the outlet said it was Trump's son-in-law, New Jersey native Jared Kushner, who made the final moves to push Christie out.

The source said it was because Christie prosecuted Kusher's father, top New Jersey Democratic donor Charles Kushner, when the governor was the state's U.S. attorney in the mid-2000s. Kushner was convicted on charges of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering.

Christie told MSNBC in July he was bothered by Trump's decision.

"If you're a competitive person, like I am, and you're used to winning, like I am -- again, you don't like coming in second, ever," the governor said.

Two of Christie's allies are currently on trial for allegedly shutting down lanes at the George Washington Bridge in a case of political retribution in 2013. The jury begins deliberating Monday.

Christie has denied advance knowledge of the plot, though the key witness, former Port Authority executive David Wildstein -- who has pled guilty to masterminding the incident -- testified that he told Christie about the traffic problems it caused while they were going on.

On Friday, Trump told Fox News he still has "great confidence" in Christie running his transition team despite Bridgegate, though he added that he has not followed the trial closely.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.