With his self-immolation at New Jersey governor virtually complete, Chris Christie’s supporters have been flogging him as the top choice to be Donald Trump’s vice president. That doesn’t appear to be the case.

It is highly unlikely that Gov. Chris Christie will be Donald Trump’s running mate, according to two sources who are advising the Trump campaign and who requested to remain anonymous.

Instead, the sources said that former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich is “the likely pick” to be the tycoon’s choice for vice president.

The sources, who have been privy to some of the selection process, have insisted on anonymity because they are not authorized to speak for the campaign.

“The people who’ve been pushing the Christie narrative are Christie people,” said one of the sources, who has heard Gingrich is the likely pick. However, “it’s Trump — I doubt anyone really fully knows what he’s going to do.”

Ever since the infamouse “Christie held hostage” moment

Chris Christie has been happy to play the court jester for Donald Trump… or the bug-eating Renfield to Doanld Trump’s Dracula. This has extended beyond loyalty into slavishness. Trump has made fun of Christie for being fat in campaign appearances and Christie was reported to have been pressed into service to make fast food runs for Trump. Given the fact that this is the campaign that employed Corey Lewandowski and still employs Katrina Pierson, one would think this would make Christie a shoo-in:

The source added that Christie’s stout defense of Trump and unwillingness to criticize him may have backfired, saying, “You want someone who’s willing to be a Devil’s advocate at times.”

Last month, Gingrich had called Trump’s use of racial remarks to attack the integrity of a federal judge “inexcusable” and called for the mogul to “move his game up to the level of being a potential leader.”

The reason why Christie was asked to fill out the 100 plus pages of disclosure documents?

“They’ve been vetting him (because) it would be embarrassing not to be vetted,” the source said.

While Trump may not value independent thought too highly, witness, for instance, the make up of his campaign staff, he seems to be as revolted as the rest of us at the sight of Christie’s uncompromising self-debasement.