- Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he is not interested in serving as President Trump's chief of staff on Friday.
- Christie, among several other individual under consideration to succeed John Kelly, have bowed out of the running in recent days.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he is not interested in serving as President Trump's chief of staff on Friday, becoming yet another high-profile Republican to decline taking on one of the most grueling jobs in
"It's an honor to have the President consider me as he looks to choose a new White House chief-of-staff. However, I've told the President that now is not the right time for me and my family to undertake this serious assignment," Christie said in a statement. "As a result, I have asked him to no longer keep me in any of his considerations for this post."
Read more: Who's next? Jared Kushner now among the potential replacements for John Kelly
Christie's decision mirrors others who have been rumored to become the president's top aide upon the departure of current chief of staff John Kelly.
North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows, who chairs the conservative House Freedom Caucus, removed his name from consideration on Wednesday, citing his desire to stay in Congress even after Republicans lost their House majority in the November midterm elections.
"I've had the best job in the world, representing the people of western North Carolina and working alongside President Trump these last two years to give the forgotten men and women of America a voice in their government.," Meadows said. "I'm fully committed to continuing in both of those roles. I know the President has a long list of tremendous candidates for his next chief of staff, and whomever it is will have my total support moving forward."
Another name to drop out of the running was Nick Ayers, the outgoing chief of staff for Vice President Mike Pence. Ayers was rumored to be a favorite for the position, but declined.
Other names that have been floated are current White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Mick Mulvaney, who heads the White House's budget and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and others.