Christie: Intend to finish term as governor of New Jersey

Gov. Christie said Monday night that he intends to finish his second term, maintaining that he has no plans to leave for Washington amid speculation over his prospects in Donald Trump's administration.

"I've said to the president-elect, I have 14 months left in my term, and it's my desire to finish my term," Christie said on New Jersey 101.5's Ask the Governor.

While "I don't know what's going to happen six or nine months from now," he said, "what I'm telling you is, I intend to be governor until Jan. 18, 2018. That's what I want to do, and that's what I intend to do."

The governor, who was recently replaced as chairman of Trump's transition team, shot back at media reports describing a decline in his standing with the president-elect.

"My relationship with the president-elect is great, as everybody saw yesterday when we were together," Christie said, referring to a meeting Sunday at Trump's Bedminster golf course. "There's never been a cross word between us, in terms of our feelings toward each other."

Of reports that Trump was upset by the George Washington Bridge lane closure trial, the governor said: "All crap."

Christie said he and Trump had talked about the bridge scandal.

"I told him what was going on, and he believed me," Christie said. He said he and Trump had also talked about the Access Hollywood videotape that surfaced during the campaign, showing Trump boasting of grabbing women by their genitals.

"We've each had challenges and problems in our political life that we helped each other get through," said Christie, whose approval rating has recently fallen to 20 percent. "I know how much he values my friendship, and he knows how much I value his."

Christie criticized media coverage of the bridge trial, in which his former aides defended themselves in part by painting the governor - who was not charged - as culpable in covering up the lane-closure scheme.

"The press in this state is so screwed up, it's scary," Christie said, faulting reporters for treating the testimony of Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Baroni as "gospel truth."

Kelly, who was Christie's former deputy chief of staff, and Baroni, who was the governor's top appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, were found guilty this month of misusing Port Authority resources as part of a plot to jam traffic at the bridge to punish a local mayor.

"I'm done with this," he said.

It's also time for people to stop grieving over the outcome of the presidential election, Christie said, marveling at reports of schools providing postelection counseling to students.

"Grow up," he said, after expressing sympathy for a mother who said her son was facing a bullying investigation at school for celebrating Trump's election.

Christie also had little patience for "Mike from Brick," who argued that revenue from legalizing marijuana - which Christie opposes - would negate the need for the just-raised gas tax.

"Are you high right now?" the governor countered.

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