Mike Pence replaces Chris Christie as head of Trump’s transition team

WASHINGTON — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was abruptly replaced by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the vice president-elect, to lead President-elect Donald Trump’s transition to the White House, Trump aides announced today.

The job is always crucial, but especially so for the first modern president ever elected without experience in either government or the military.

In addition to staffing the White House, Cabinet agencies, embassies and other key government posts, the transition team needs to make sure Trump is briefed and prepared to take responsibility for taking over the government and getting his policy initiatives in place.

Christie has been tarred by the recent convictions of two former top aides for creating a traffic jam leading to the George Washington Bridge to punish a mayor who would not endorse him.

Pence has proven a loyal second to Trump, backing him when other establishment Republicans were critical and finding ways to explain some of his more controversial statements in public. A former member of the House, Pence also has close ties to House Speaker Paul Ryan and other top Republicans on Capitol Hill.