Story highlights Christie has long spoken out against opioid abuse

He joined Trump at the White House Wednesday

Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump, joined by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, renewed Wednesday his campaign pledge to combat opioid abuse and help those affected by the scourge during a White House listening session.

Christie, an early backer of Trump's campaign, led the President's transition team before running afoul of Trump's inner circle and being replaced by Vice President Mike Pence. The New Jersey governor and former 2016 campaign rival has been an outspoken leader on opioid deaths, which have skyrocketed by 214% since 2010 in the Garden State, according to the New Jersey attorney general.

A White House official said Wednesday that Wednesday's listening session was the start of a process that will eventually become a Christie-led task force on the opioid crisis and drug treatment.

"We want to help those who have become so badly addicted," Trump said during the listening session that included people who lost family to opioid overdoses. "This is a total epidemic and I think it is probably un-talked about compared to the severity we are witnessing."

Wednesday's session follows a failed effort from Trump and the House GOP to replace Obamacare with a plan that experts say would have dramatically cut the availability of drug treatment programs to poor people under the Medicaid program.

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