Donald Trump stands on stage with Gov. Chris Christie. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images Christie sticks with Trump despite 'indefensible' remarks

After several days of silence, Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday called Donald Trump’s boasts about groping women “indefensible,” but said he will not pull his support from the Republican presidential nominee.

“On the video itself, let’s be really clear, it is completely indefensible. And I won’t defend it and haven’t defended it. That kind of talk and conversation, even in private, is just unacceptable,” Christie said while guest hosting the morning sports talk radio show Boomer & Carton.


Christie was one of the first establishment Republicans to back Trump during the primary, endorsing him in February shortly after abandoning his own presidential bid. The governor has since been one of his closest advisers and has served as a surrogate.

But Christie went silent after Trump’s remarks were revealed on Friday, even pulling out of a CNN appearance on Sunday morning.

“I made that very clear to Donald on Friday when that first came out and urged him to be contrite and apologetic because that’s what he needs to be,” Christie said. “For me this is just stuff that you can’t, can’t be involved in and shouldn’t even be thinking.”

Christie indicated he was not satisfied with Trump’s apology. He did not attend Sunday’s debate in St. Louis that he had helped Trump prepare for, though he said he stayed in New Jersey because he had things to do. He had no public schedule over the weekend.

“I would have done it much differently," Christie said. "But I do think he’s sorry and I do think he’s embarrassed by it.”

Still, Christie acknowledged that the Trump tape did make him rethink his support.

“Well you certainly have to think about it,” he said. “I’ve known him for a long time and I’m really upset by what I’ve heard, but in the end this election is about bigger issues than that.”

The governor also said “who knows?” when asked if there could be more damaging Trump tapes coming.

Trump has given no indication that he’s dropping out, despite some Republican calls for him to quit.

In the unlikely event Trump did drop out and Republicans were able to field a replacement, Christie — who is facing his own political difficulties from the ongoing Bridgegate trial — said he had no interest in being the candidate with less than a month to go.

“No I wouldn’t do that because I don’t think that makes any sense for me personally,” he said.