Asked if he's proud of Trump's campaign, Christie dodges

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dodged on Monday when asked if he’s proud of the way Donald Trump is running his campaign, saying only that he “can’t control” the way the candidate he supports conducts himself on the trail.

Stopped on the street by NBC News’ Kelly O’Donnell, Christie offered a defense of the statements he has made in his capacity as a surrogate for the Trump campaign, but declined to go further.


“Listen, for me, the person who needs most to be concerned about the kind of the campaign they’re running is the candidate, because it’s the candidate’s campaign,” Christie said. “It’s not my campaign, it’s not Jeff Sessions’ campaign, it’s not Rudy Giuliani’s campaign. We’re surrogates. And I’m proud of everything I’ve said and that’s all I can control. The rest of it I can’t control, Kelly.”

The clip aired on Tuesday morning on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“Awkward. Just so awkward,” host Mika Brzezinski quipped.

Trump’s prominent supporters have been in a tough spot over the last week as the Republican nominee’s campaign spirals downward and Trump trails in the polls. Trump faces allegations of sexual misconduct from several women, which he denies, and on the campaign trail he has offered an angry defense of himself, even demeaning his accusers’ looks.

He has also launched a full-scale attack to discredit the news media and made unfounded claims that global forces and Hillary Clinton’s campaign are conspiring to stop his election. There is no evidence that the election will be “rigged,” as Trump has repeatedly claimed, but many of his supporters believe it. Some have floated revolting if Trump loses in November.

Christie also told O’Donnell that he believes Trump’s assurances that the allegations of sexual misconduct are false.

“He’s assured me, privately, exactly what he said publicly, which is that these are lies and fabrications,” Christie said. “And I think a number of the allegations have been discredited. We’ll see what happens with the others. I can only take him at his word, and I am.”