Trump threatens Christie with fresh "Bridgegate" investigation
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey and ex-2024 Republican presidential candidate, in Keene, New Hampshire, last year. Photo: Sophie Park/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump suggested Sunday evening former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie may face an investigation over the 2013 New Jersey "Bridgegate" scandal.
The big picture: He was responding to Christie's appearance on ABC News' "This Week" Sunday during which the president's former ally and Republican 2024 presidential rival criticized Trump and his administration.
What they're saying: "Can anyone believe anything that Sloppy Chris says?" Trump wrote on Truth Social about his former ally-turned-critic, as he criticized the show and ABC host George Stephanopoulos.
- "Do you remember the way he lied about the dangerous and deadly closure of the George Washington Bridge in order to stay out of prison, at the same time sacrificing people who worked for him, including a young mother, who spent years trying to fight off the vicious charges against her," Trump said.
- "Chris refused to take responsibility for these criminal acts. For the sake of JUSTICE, perhaps we should start looking at that very serious situation again?"
- Representatives for the Department of Justice declined to comment on the matter.
For the record: Christie was never charged with any crimes in relation to the closure of two lanes to the George Washington Bridge for three days in 2013 to punish the Democrat mayor of Fort Lee, N.J. for refusing to back the then-governor's 2013 re-election effort.
- Two Christie allies were convicted of corruption, but the U.S. Supreme Court reversed these in a 2020 ruling that Trump congratulated the former governor about at the time.
Driving the news: While discussing the FBI raid on the home of former national security adviser John Bolton, Christie told Stephanopoulos Trump "sees himself as the person who gets to decide everything" and "absolutely rejects the idea that there should be separation between criminal investigations and the politically elected leader of the United States."
- He also cast doubt on Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell's comments to a Justice Department official that she had not seen Trump "in any inappropriate setting," arguing she isn't credible given her conviction for recruiting minors for Epstein.
- Still, he emphasized that he doesn't believe the president has ever done anything "untoward or illegal" related to the Epstein case.
- "She might as well have taken out Donald Trump, or President Trump, and said, 'The man who can pardon me has never done anything wrong. The man who can pardon me has always been wonderful," Christie said.
For the record: Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted of charges related to the sex trafficking of minors.
- Trump has not ruled out a pardon for Maxwell, who's sought to have her conviction overturned.
Go deeper: Flashback to Christie's many attacks on Trump
Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect that the DOJ declined to comment.
