TRENTON, N.J. _ Returning to the campaign trail with Donald Trump on Monday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie resurrected a theme of his failed candidacy, praising police while accusing President Barack Obama of failing to ensure "law and order."
As he described the United States as in the midst of "an extraordinarily troubling time," Christie told a crowd in Virginia Beach, Va., that "we need a president who once again will put law and order at the top of the priority of the presidency in this country."
"Our police officers, the men and women who stand each day to protect us, need to understand that the president of the United States and his administration will give them the benefit of the doubt, not always believe that what they've done is somehow wrong. We need to stand behind the men and women in blue in this country," Christie said.
Christie is said to be among a number of Republicans being considered as Trump's running mate. Trump _ who has been appearing with other potential picks, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich _ told The Washington Post on Monday that he expected to select a running mate by the end of this week.
Christie met over the weekend with the attorney leading Trump's vetting effort and discussed issues including the George Washington Bridge lane-closure scandal, according to another Post report that cited two people familiar with the process.
Christie hasn't joined Trump on the trail lately. In May, he appeared with Trump in New Jersey, where the presumptive GOP nominee came for a fund-raiser to help pay off Christie's campaign debt.
On Monday, the governor used the occasion to promote his credentials. As during his presidential campaign, he told voters that he had served as a U.S. attorney _ a resume point he raised more than once during his seven-minute introduction of Trump.
"I made sure that justice was both blind and fair," said Christie, who was New Jersey's U.S. attorney from 2002 to 2008. "We need to make sure that that returns to our country. It has left it in this administration."
Trump, Christie said, "is someone who will make sure he absolutely gives you the confidence every night. ... His No. 1 priority will be the safety and security of your family."
Christie also made another case that could serve as part of a vice presidential audition: attacking Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Referring to Clinton's handling of classified information on a private email server as secretary of State, Christie said, "That's not a person who will stand for the rule of law; that's a person who will stand for the rule of her."
Christie, who canceled a forum Monday in New Jersey scheduled to promote his school-funding plan, spoke before Trump, but he wasn't the one to directly introduce him. Florida Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, spoke after Christie.
Trump, who was seen as outdoing Christie's blunt-talking brand during the Republican primary campaign, echoed some of the governor's message during his speech.
"I am the law-and-order candidate," he told the crowd.
