New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) gave a short speech to introduce Donald Trump on Tuesday night -- but the famously brash governor seemed unusually docile and timid.
The Internet promptly took notice, with some observing that Christie didn't look like he wanted to be there -- generating a meme of Christie as Trump's hostage.
Gazing at his notes and speaking in an even tone, Christie focused on Trump’s electability -- virtually omitting Trump’s policy positions.
“The fight this fall is to make sure that a united Republican party and a united American people make sure that Hillary Rodham Clinton never gets back in the White House,” Christie said. “Since June 16th, when Mr. Trump declared his candidacy, he has shown himself to be tough and strong and bold.”
When Trump came to the podium to speak, Christie stood behind him with a blank expression on his face.
Christie’s uncharacteristically scripted and soft-spoken speech is another example of the governor allowing Trump to demean him since Christie endorsed the real estate mogul on Friday.
Trump was caught on tape treating Christie like a lackey. And Christie embarrassed himself on national television trying to reconcile his endorsement of Trump with their vehement disagreement on a host of key issues.
But it was Christie’s timid-seeming platitudes and demeanor on Tuesday that opened the floodgates, eliciting mockery from all corners of the Internet.
Many observers likened Christie to a hostage reading a ransom note, causing #FreeChrisChristie to trend on Twitter in Washington, D.C.
It is no wonder that Trump felt at ease ripping Nabisco, a company headquartered in Christie's state.
Here are some of the funniest reactions:
