Thread by @MesMitch

Listen,” Giuliani told Christie. “He’s going to offer you chief of staff tonight.

“He just got off the phone with me,” Giuliani added, referring to Trump. “He told me that that’s the decision he’s made. You’re the best person in position for the reelect.

You’re the smartest politician. You can run the place. He needs you.”

“Rudy, is Jared leaving?” Christie asked.

“No,” Giuliani said.

“Why the fuck am I going to take this job?” Christie said. “You guys are nuts. I’m not going in there and [having] Jared down the hall.”

As the train hurtled toward Union Station Christie’s mind was racing. If Trump really was about to offer him chief of staff he had to figure out what to say. So he called Jim Baker, a legendary former White House chief of staff under both President Reagan and President H. W. Bush

Christie knew Baker and relied on his sage advice; when he was Trump’s transition chairman, Christie had spent two hours in Houston talking with Baker about staffing administrations.

Baker picked up right away. “Governor,” he said, “if you’re calling me, you’re about to be offered the worst fucking job in America.”

Christie asked what kinds of things he should request from the president. Baker went through a list of demands, including that he have walk-in privileges to the Oval Office; is able to attend any meeting in the White House that the president is in;

chooses all staff and that all staff report to him, other than family members; controls his own media appearances; and gets his own personal lawyer. Christie jotted down notes as he listened.

“If you take this,” Baker told Christie, “we have to come up with a new phrase that goes beyond patriot.”

When 😱Melania🙀😳🤔😱 asked Christie how he intended to deal with Kushner and Ivanka, considering his famous tensions with the presidential son-in-law, the president interjected.

“Don’t worry about that,” Trump said. “I’ll handle that part of it.”

“Sir, that is something to be concerned about,” Christie said.

“Jared really doesn’t have any problem with you,” Trump said.

“Mr. President, please, this is ridiculous,” Christie said.

“Don’t worry about that,” Trump insisted.

Christie wanted to avoid giving the president an answer to his offer on the spot. He was looking to buy some time. And as they wrapped up their conversation, Trump told him, “I know you.

You’re going to want to talk to Mary Pat about this, so go home and talk to Mary Pat and I’ll call you in the morning. But I want you here.”