Christie on possible Trump job: 'I'm completing my term'

• Brent Johnson | NJ.com

TRENTON -- Gov.Chris Christie on Tuesday once again insisted he plans to finish his final term in New Jersey and berated the media for continuing to speculate whether he'll leave the state to serve in President-electDonald Trump's incoming administration.

But once again, Christie didn't completely close the door on taking a new job.

"For some reason, people think I'm equivocal about this," the governor said during a news event at under the Statehouse dome. "And I'm not. I'm completing my term."

"Now, I will tell you that if something extraordinary happens in the world where my service is needed, I will consider any requests that are made," Christie added. "That's not being equivocal about it. That's understanding what the real world is. But I want you to all take a deep breath and relax."

Christie and Trump, aformer Atlantic City casino mogul, have been friends for 14 years, and the governor spent months as an adviser to the Republican nominee's campaign. In May, Trump chose Christie to run his transition team, and the governor was reportedly a finalist for vice president.

But earlier this month, Trumpreplaced Christie as transition chair and demoted him to one of several vice chairs. Meanwhile, Trump picked other people for U.S. attorney general and White House chief of staff -- two positions for which Christie was reportedly a contender.

Since then, there have nonstop questions over whether Christie would still work for Trump in Washington.

Christie said twice in recent weeks thathe planned to serve out his second and final term in New Jersey -- which ends Jan. 18, 2018 -- though he left open the possibility of that changing.

Three sourcestold NJ Advance Media last week that the governor was still being considered for a spot in Trump's cabinet.

The uncertainty bubbled up again when Christie's office announced he was holding a rare news conference Tuesday at the Statehouse.

Initially, the event was listed as being "open" to the press, suggesting Christie would take questions from the podium for the first time in months. Later, the governor's office changed the schedule to note it the event would be a press "announcement" in which Christie wouldn't take questions.

Dozens of reporters, photographers, and cameramen showed packed into the Statehouse rotunda to see Christie speak.

The governor ended up announcing a $300 million renovation to the Statehouse over the next four years -- and took the opportunity to needle the media.

"From some of the reaction I got that I was having a press announcement, I think many of you thought I was announcing something else," he said toward the end of the event. "I appreciate all of you being here for the Statehouse renovation. It's really wonderful."

"For those of you who would be distraught over the idea that I would leave before January 18 of 2018, no reason for you to be distraught," Christie said. "For those who are looking forward to me leaving before January 18 of 2018, sorry to disappoint you but I'm not going to. For whatever camp you fall into, I'm not going anywhere."

Christie also told the press to "use a little common sense."

"If I was really leaving to take a job in the Trump administration, would I be doing it in the rotunda of the Statehouse, by myself, without the person who would be actually giving me the job?" he asked. "Knowing him, he'd want to be there."

Christie did not take questions after his comments.

Brigid Harrison, a political science professor at Montclair State University, said it appeared Christie was toying with the media.

"If he was uninterested in fomenting such speculation in the media, he simply could have announced the press conference in a way that indicated that it concerned Statehouse renovations, or as a major investment in the facility's infrastructure," Harrison said. "Instead, he choose to tease the press, which certainly is his prerogative."

Brent Johnson may be reached atbjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@johnsb01. FindNJ.com Politics on Facebook.