Steve Bannon: Christie's response to 'Access Hollywood' tape cost him top White House job

President Trump's former chief strategist says Gov. Christie was not offered a top job in the administration because the New Jersey governor was insufficiently loyal to Trump after a video emerged during the 2016 campaign that showed him bragging about sexual assault.

The 2005 tape, published by the Washington Post about a month before the November election, shows Trump boasting to Access Hollywood host Billy Bush about groping women.

"Christie, because of Billy Bush weekend, was not looked at for a cabinet position," Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, said in an interview with Charlie Rose of CBS News. Bannon was ousted from the White House last month.

"I told [Christie] the plane leaves at 11 o'clock in the morning. If you're on the plane, you're on the team," Bannon said in the interview, an excerpt of which was released Friday. "Didn't make the plane."

At the time, Christie called Trump's lewd remarks "indefensible."

Bannon's remarks are at odds with Christie's public claims that Trump had offered him several jobs.

"I don't believe there's a job the president could offer me that would make me want to go" to Washington, Christie told reporters in Trenton in July. "He's offered me a number of opportunities already, and I've said no to all of them."

Christie was in the running to be the vice presidential nominee, but Trump ultimately opted for Mike Pence. Christie is also said to have coveted the post of attorney general.

Politico and other news organizations have reported that Trump offered Christie cabinet-level positions, such as labor secretary but that the governor declined the offers.

Brian Murray, a spokesman for Christie, said those reports were accurate and added: "He chose to stay as governor and complete his term. Any assertion to the contrary is simply factually incorrect."