Former Gov. Chris Christie visited the White House on Thursday as several news outlets reported that President Donald Trump is considering him to replace Jeff Sessions as attorney general.

Christie is among several candidates reportedly on the list of those being considered after Sessions, who had a tortured relationship with the president, was forced out Wednesday as the nation's chief law enforcement officer.

Other people in the running include Rudy Giuliani, outgoing Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Attorney General William Barr, who served under President George H.W. Bush, according to a CBS News report. The list is only expected to grow in the coming days, with no decision expected soon, the outlet reported.

Christie is a longtime friend of Trump's who endorsed the real estate mogul after dropping his own bid for president. He later led Trump's transition team before being sidelined after Trump was elected.

The pair speak regularly, and while Christie is not known to have been lobbying for the post, it is one he has said he was interested in after turning down past offers of ambassadorships and other positions in Trump’s Cabinet.

Christie said during an interview on Fox News last year that he likely would have resigned as governor had Trump originally offered him the job of attorney general.

Christie's visit to the White House on Thursday was not about that position, according to a CNBC report. Rather, Christie was meeting with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser, to discuss prison reform efforts and no meeting with the president was scheduled, the outlet reported.

Sessions' exit was expected for weeks amid Trump’s attacks over his attorney general’s decision to recuse himself from the Justice Department’s inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Trump has named Sessions' chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, as acting attorney general.

Bill Palatucci, a longtime Christie adviser and confidant, said Christie did not float any trial balloon to stoke speculation about his nomination and had not received a call from the White House about his potential interest in the post as of Thursday morning.

But no call was necessary, Palatucci said, because Trump is “very aware” of Christie’s interest in the job.

“They had a great relationship," he said. "The president has great confidence in the governor, and if the president wanted to speak to the governor, he’ll pick up a phone and call him himself."

Palatucci, however, said Christie is not likely to automatically leap at the job if asked, as he is enjoying private life, working in the private sector and being at home with two of his high-school-age children.

“The longer you are out of office, the harder it is to go back,’’ he said. “But Chris has always said, if [Trump] would call, I would listen.”

Palatucci said Christie would not take the job with marching orders or expectations from Trump to fire Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the Russia investigation. At an appearance at the University of Chicago last May, Christie heaped praise on Mueller, who led the FBI when Christie served as U.S. attorney for New Jersey from 2002 to 2008. Christie spoke to Mueller’s integrity, non-partisan style and effectiveness.

Asked if a positive view toward Mueller might harm Christie’s chances of getting the job, Palatucci said it would actually boost Christie’s chances.

“The relationship between the attorney general and special counsel has to be a working relationship," he said. "If it’s one of mutual respect, they can actually get things done."

Trump’s fury toward Sessions stems from Sessions' decision to recuse himself from oversight of the Russian probe. Sessions was the first sitting U.S. senator to endorse Trump’s campaign and was an ardent champion of Trump’s anti-immigration platform.

But Sessions stepped aside shortly after reports surfaced that he failed to disclose meetings he'd had with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak during the 2016 campaign. Sessions cited a U.S. Justice Department regulation that prohibited department employees from investigating a campaign in which they took part.

Although Christie served for a time as Trump’s transition director, he had no meeting with Russian officials, Palatucci said.

Christie has experience that could make him a good fit for the job. As U.S. attorney for New Jersey, he was the top federal law enforcement official in the state.

The reputation Christie built leading high-profile prosecutions of corrupt political officials from both parties propelled him into the governor’s mansion and could be used to reassure Republicans concerned about the independent administration of justice.

But he also comes with political baggage. One of the people Christie put in prison was Charles Kushner, the father of Jared Kushner. The younger Kushner in 2014 called that prosecution “obviously unjust,” and the men reportedly have had a fraught relationship.

A Christie nomination could also revive questions about his role in a scheme to shut down local access lanes to the George Washington Bridge as political retribution during his 2013 re-election campaign. Christie has maintained that he knew nothing of the closures, but one person convicted in the scheme testified that Christie knew of them and their purpose as they happened.

Two other former top Christie aides are appealing prison sentences for their roles in the so-called Bridgegate scandal.

Unlike Sessions, Christie does not have a record as an immigration hard-liner. Supporters of Trump’s anti-immigration push may want to know why Christie, as U.S. attorney, said undocumented immigration is an administrative matter and not a crime and why, when asked in 2015 what he would do about deporting undocumented immigrants, Christie replied: “There are not enough law enforcement officers in all the country if all they were doing is rounding up and deporting people.”

Columnist Charles Stile contributed to this article.

Email: pugliese@northjersey.com

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