Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich declared Friday that Chris Christie’s endorsement of Donald Trump is a great sign for Trump’s chances to become the standard-bearer of the Republican Party.

This Chris Christie endorsement of Trump is real signal to GOP establishment that they had better begin thinking about Trump as the future — Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) February 26, 2016

Christie formally endorsed Trump Friday at a press conference in Texas, where he said that Democrats fear facing off against Trump in the general election.

Gingrich touted Trump’s potential in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News in December before any primaries had taken place.

“I think he represents a different era” in the conservative movement, Gingrich said. “The system has become so incompetent and outrageously bureaucratic. The centers of power are so, so in New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, that the whole rest of the country is in rebellion. And people are looking for somebody who can kick down the doors.”

“It’s a very deep, very real movement,” Gingrich said.

Trump is leading the most recent polls in eight of twelve Super Tuesday states, while two states have dated polls conducted before Trump won his historic victory in the South Carolina primary. Trump is widely leading the Republican field. After Super Tuesday, he will focus on defeating Marco Rubio in Florida on March 15. Trump is leading Rubio there 44 to 28, according to the Quinnipiac poll.