On December 17, Christie returned to the White House with his wife to attend a Christmas party for cabinet members and other administration officials. As soon as he walked in, he locked eyes with Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. “Look at this! A ray of sunshine has entered the building,” Mattis said. “To what do I owe that compliment, General?” Christie asked. They shook hands and Mattis said, “Because you’re smart enough not to get into the shitshow.”
