Trump?

There’s so much about the primary that isn’t going Christie's way. But he certainly didn’t expect to suddenly be the mild, more-restrained candidate in the race.

This week, New Jersey Public Radio's Matt Katz and Paul Mulshine, conservative columnist for the Star-Ledger, join us to talk about what Donald Trump's ascendency means for the Christie campaign.

With Trump generating so much attention, Matt says Christie has been 'totally outshined.' He says Christie's 'Tell It Like It Is' brand doesn’t make sense 'when someone else is saying stuff that's even more outrageous.' He adds that Trump 'makes Christie look like the absolute cookie-cutter politician – the opposite of the perception that Christie has cultivated on the national scene for all these years.'

Also: Christie was back in South Carolina this week. Host David Furst is joined by South Carolina Republican strategist Chip Felkel, and Deborah Streetman, president of the Charleston County Republican Women. They check in to tell us how Christie is being received in the key primary state.

Check out the WNYC Data News App: The Christie Tracker.