• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, March 3, 2016

It’s a sign of how divisive Donald Trump’s candidacy has become that simply endorsing him can bring calls for an elected official’s resignation. That’s what happened this week, when six New Jersey newspapers published scathing editorials criticizing NJ governor Chris Christie for joining forces with Trump and calling for him to resign the governorship.

The joint editorials appeared in six newspapers, including the Star-Ledger, Asbury Park Press, Courier Post of Cherry Hill and Daily Record of Morristown. In the op-eds, the newspapers’ editors blasted Christie for his alleged lack of principles, high-handed behavior and neglect of the state’s affairs as he pursues his own political ambitions. 

The op-ed published in the Star-Ledgerbegins: “Gov. Chris Christie has made it abundantly clear that governing New Jersey is a distant second priority for him, far behind the demands of his personal ambition. He has answered every crisis with neglect during his disastrous second term.”

After reviewing some of the major failures attributed to his neglect, including the looming bankruptcy of Atlantic City and the state’s unresolved fiscal crisis, the editors portray his endorsement of Trump as the straw that broke the camel’s back: “His craven endorsement of Donald Trump is only the final blow, the moment when he lost any last shred of credibility. His fulsome praise of Trump, after his stinging condemnations only a few weeks ago, is impossible to believe.”

Like many observers, the editors point to the governor’s dazed appearance at a Trump press conference earlier this week: “Christie's distraught expression as he stood with Trump during the press conference on Super Tuesday showed that even he can barely stomach this act of hypocrisy and opportunism. He looked like he had been taken hostage, or hit in the head.”

The op-eds also blasted Christie’s refusal to answer any questions unrelated to a single topic, his nomination of a state Supreme Court Judge, on Monday, calling this another example of his arrogance.

Lest there be any misunderstanding about their real feelings, the op-ed published in the Asbury Park-Press concluded: “We’re fed up with Gov. Chris Christie’s arrogance. We’re fed up with his opportunism. We’re fed up with his hypocrisy.”

The editors then called for Christie to step down and hand over power to Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno. They suggest that if he refuses, New Jersey voters should initiate a recall referendum.