Christie throws support to Trump

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is slamming Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as he endorses Donald Trump for president.

“We don’t need any more of these Washington, D.C., acts,” Christie said Friday during a news conference in Fort Worth, Texas, where he announced his support of the New York billionaire.

Trump, he said, “will do what needs to be done to protect the American people.”

“They do not know the playbook with Donald Trump because he is rewriting the playbook,” Christie added.

Trump called Christie’s support “a very big endorsement.”

“Generally speaking I’m not big on endorsements,” he said. “This was one endorsement that really meant a lot. Chris is an outstanding man, with an outstanding family. He’s done a great job, and I think this is the one endorsement that I felt very strongly about that I wanted to get.”

Christie, who ended his own campaign for GOP presidential nomination this month,  also chided Rubio for his attacks on Trump at Thursday night’s debate.

“Desperate people in campaigns do desperate things. The fact of the matter is, no one is gonna get inside this guy’s head,” Christie said.

Christie memorably attacked the freshman senator at the final Republican debate before the New Hampshire primary, tripping up Rubio in a moment that likely contributed to his poor performance in the state’s primary.

Christie accused Rubio of parroting the same talking points repeatedly and said a president should be able to think on his feet.

The endorsement from Christie comes the day after Rubio changed tactics in Thursday’s GOP debate and began to attack Trump on a variety of fronts, from his business background to his preparedness to lead the nation. Rubio continued on Friday morning, calling Trump “a con artist” during a round of morning television interviews.

Trump said Rubio is a “desperate guy” and said, “I don’t think he’s of presidential caliber.”