Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics

Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics by Chris Christie and Ellis Henican     AudioBook: 10 hours     Hardback Book:  432 pages

He could have been a contender, wait a minute, for a while there he actually was a contender in the 2016 Presidential race.   Two-term Governor of New Jersey from 2010-2018, prior to that he practiced law after graduating college and was appointed  Attorney General for New Jersey from 2002-2008   Now, after leaving office he has written this book and is a contributor to ABC News.    Christie doesn’t pull any punches when talking about his life, his mistakes and his successes.   He speaks openly about good times and rough times in his marriage, he talks about his kids including his teenage daughter’s remark when he told his kids he was running for Governor of the State of New Jersey to which his daughter replied, “Thanks for ruining my life, Dad.”   She got over it.   He has a very conversational way of talking and he is compelling in everything he brings to the table – you want to know where he is going with what he is talking about and he tells it like it is.   If he thinks someone is a liar, he says so, if he thinks someone is a dirty snake pushing their own agenda instead of the President’s and what is best for the country he names names.   He does not back up from telling the truth and I would imagine he is likely in litigation over many of the truths he shares here.    He has been friends with the Donald for 15 years and while he was Attorney General, he actually prosecuted the Donald’s son-in-law’s father,  which did not endear him to the inner circle of those who have the ear of the President.    Christie was a consultant to Donald Trump throughout their friendship and he was very forthcoming in telling the Donald the 2 positions he would be interested in holding if Trump won the election.   Trump promised him it would be done.   After the election looked like a shoe-in, Trump asked  Christie if he would be interested in the Vice-Presidency?   Christie said yes but if not he still wanted the Attorney General position.   Trump told him he would “talk to the guys and get it done.”    Christie went on to be the one who always told Donald Trump the truth even when he didn’t want to hear it.  Kushner, the Donald’s son-in-law, would talk a good game when the whole team was together saying he held no grudges but of course as things played out he was doing everything he could to talk against Christie saying he was just trying get in with the President to further his own career goals and trusting “family” above all others, Trump believed what he was hearing and when the time came to make the appointments, he gave the positions Christie had hoped for to other people without so much as giving Christie a hint he was passing over him completely.   And after offering the V.P. position to him went Pence who Christie had introduced him to!    All those smackdowns and yet Christie continues to believe his good friend isn’t to blame for any of it that his son-in-law is the one who poisoned the Donald against him.  In a menial gesture Trump threw some scraps at Christie of being Secretary of Labor and Head of Homeland Security, etc.   always positions he knew Christie had no interest in.   Christie declined them and that gave Trump recourse to say he offered him all these positions but he wouldn’t take them.   Trump belittled Christie for being too fat to look good on t.v.   He humiliated him at a dinner Trump had invited Christie and his wife to that he also invited Pence and his son-in-law (who always made sure he attended every meeting Christie was invited to so he could hear everything that was said).   At that dinner Trump looked at Christie and said, “ if it hadn’t been for that Bridge thing this could have been you.”   Christie’s wife about choked.   So many more of the Donald’s jabs are discussed and yet, Christie STILL holds up for him.   Dude, he is the President, as a colleague and a friend, he jerked the rug out from under you several times, saying one thing and doing another.    Do you really honestly believe he didn’t know what he was doing just following bad advice by incompetent advisors.   Come, on, really?   Of course, I understand we must pick our battles, but while reading this, while I love how you are telling what you endured so that is justice for the wrongdoers showing their underhanded deeds coming to light, I also understand if you want to have a hope at another shot at the presidency you have to make nice with everybody so the party gets it that you know how to take it and won’t point blame at the top office, just the hangers on.   I hope your diligence is rewarded.   I think I would have been done with the first burn.   Really good book.   The truth is stranger than fiction.  I would recommend this book, too, to High school on up,  he does drop the f-bomb now and then.   Well written and deeper understandings of Bridgegate,  the Obama hug and more are given.   Well done, Chris Christie.

- Shirley J.