RUSH: Okay. So now we know it was Trump who had a press conference announced, and it’s begun, and the purpose is Chris Christie — Governor Christie, New Jersey — has just endorsed Donald Trump for president and is explaining why. We’re rolling sound. We’ll have that for you in the next hour. I heard him say that he and Mary Pat, his wife, have been friends with Donald and Melania for a long time. And so Christie is officially now in the Trump bandwagon, having endorsed him.

Here’s Joe in Lakeland, Florida. Great to have you on the program, sir. You’re up first today. Hello.

CALLER: Thank you, Rush. An honor for me to be able to talk to you, and I’m a first-time caller and a longtime listener.

RUSH: Thank you, sir.

CALLER: I just wanted to basically share some things. I follow the political arena fairly closely, that the Trump had better get out of panic mode and deal with reality because politics has never changed. The players have changed. The politics have never changed, and they’re gonna throw at him — like they do everyone who puts their name out there for public consumption — everything they can find, everything they can dig up, and the challenge for him is to be able to address those quickly and put ’em away, okay? And not complain, because all of the complaining in the world will not change what the media is going to do. In fact, let me tell you what. Last night wasn’t even a good warm-up for him for what the Democrats will do, and you and I both know that. Basically, that’s what I wanted to share with you.

RUSH: Yeah. Look, it’s not that this stuff isn’t out there. There have been any number of bloggers and journalists in various places tarring and feathering Trump on this stuff. This was the first time the candidates really made a big deal out of it either. I mean, Jeb tried, but Jeb did it along the lines of, “We just can’t have a president who’s elected because he’s an insult king.” That didn’t go anywhere.

But this was the first time that any of the supposed incompetence or failings of Trump actually had been mentioned in a debate. And I’ll just tell you out there, Joe: The conventional wisdom is it’s too little, too late. There just isn’t enough time for any of it to have any sufficient impact to do two things. A, harm Trump and then, B, elevate either Cruz or Rubio sufficiently where they could overtake him.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Here’s Larry, San Antonio, Texas. Great to have you on the program, sir. Hello.

CALLER: Hey, Rush. Mega dittos.

RUSH: Well, thank you, Larry.

CALLER: Yes, mega CAO Extreme Cigar 20-year dittos to you.

RUSH: Thank you very much, sir.

CALLER: I’m a veteran of the Armed Forces. I have to salute you. You know, you’re a true patriot and conservative to me. You know, you’ve worn your true colors — as far as I’m concerned — each and every day of the 20 years that I’ve listened to. My wife has me beat by about eight years. But, you know, many may not like it or get it, but I do. And I appreciate it.

RUSH: No, no, no. Most people do like it and get it.

CALLER: Yeah, your humor —

RUSH: You’re in the majority, Lar’. Don’t worry about that.

CALLER: No, no, I’m not worried about it. I just… I appreciate your humor. Your humor is really, in addition to the history and my education on present-day politics, it’s your humor that really gets me through. Your human wisdom that really gets me through this un-divine comedy that I had to live with the last 7-1/2 years.

RUSH: I appreciate that, and I especially appreciate that because this program does feature a combination of things that you normally don’t misunderstand in one presentation, and that’s the serious — I mean, deadly serious — discussion of issues, combined with an irreverent, off-the-wall sense of humor with credibility on both sides with immediate transition from one to the other. You don’t often see that in other places, and I’m glad that you have picked up on that. You made my day, Larry. I appreciate it.

Everybody, have a great, great weekend, and we’ll be back on Monday with whatever happens between now and then, and whatever else is going on.