Brendan McDermid/Reuters
Donald Trump did not expect his presidential campaign to last beyond the fall of 2015, CNN reported Monday. “Trump told Christie in 2015 that he didn’t expect to make it past October—at which point he would endorse Christie, according to a Christie adviser who asked not to be named in order to speak about behind-the-scenes maneuvers,” according to excerpts from Unprecedented, the new book written by members of CNN’s political-reporting team. Following his departure from the GOP primary race, Christie became one of Trump’s most prominent backers, acting as an outspoken attack dog during the real-estate mogul’s feud with top rival Marco Rubio. Despite Christie’s longtime loyalty to Trump, he was replaced last week as the president-elect’s transition chief by incoming Vice President Mike Pence.