On Monday, President Trump didn’t dismiss the idea of potentially launching a criminal investigation into his former ally, Chris Christie, linked to the 2013 “Bridgegate” scandal.
During a press interaction, Trump continued to criticize the former governor of New Jersey, suggesting he had always suspected Christie of being involved in political retaliation schemes.
“Look, Chris is Slob. Everyone knows that,” Trump responded when questioned about the possibility of investigating Christie, following a previous warning he shared about the True Society.
“I know Chris better than anyone else here,” Trump elaborated. “I’ve always felt he was guilty, but he’s the one who took the George Washington Bridge.”
“It was clear he was aware of it, yet he shifted the blame onto the young women working for him. They ended up in a lot of trouble,” Trump added.
Despite the controversy, Christie was never charged related to the 2013 events. Two associates of his were convicted and served time for their involvement in a strategy aimed at punishing a local Democratic mayor who didn’t support Christie’s re-election. Reports allege that aides diverted traffic at the George Washington Bridge to create difficulties for Mayor Fortrey of New Jersey.
The Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the case, concluding that while the plan involved misleading tactics, it didn’t break federal laws.
Prosecutors chose not to pursue charges against Christie, claiming they couldn’t demonstrate criminal wrongdoing “beyond a reasonable doubt” or establish that he was aware of the lane closures. Christie has always declared his innocence.
Trump mentioned the possibility of a criminal inquiry after observing Christie’s critical remarks on a Sunday show.
On Monday, Trump reflected on hearing Christie “express his hatred” during that television appearance.
“When I listen to Chris talk about his hatred, he says, ‘Oh, what about the George Washington Bridge? Tell me about it.’ He pointed fingers, but he knew everything,” Trump remarked.
He suggested that the decision now falls to Pam Bondy as Attorney General.
“I’m unsure. If they want to investigate it, it’s not up to me. If they want to, they can. You could ask Pam; I think we might focus on other matters, but I’ve always thought he got away with a lot,” Trump concluded.
