Trump Threatens Federal Probe Into Chris Christie Over Bridgegate: “No One Is Above the Law”
President Donald J. Trump signaled Sunday that he may reopen a federal investigation into former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s role in the infamous “Bridgegate” scandal, a case that once rocked Garden State politics and has lingered over Christie’s career ever since.
Bridgegate’s Shadow
As the New York Post recalled, the 2013 scandal revolved around orchestrated lane closures on the George Washington Bridge in what prosecutors described as political retribution against the mayor of Fort Lee, who refused to endorse Christie. Two of Christie’s top aides were convicted, though Christie himself, a longtime Trump critic, escaped charges.
Christie Launches Attacks on Trump
Appearing Sunday on ABC’s This Week, Christie dredged up the since-dismissed 2022 FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago and attacked President Trump’s handling of classified documents.
“When we talked about this in the context of the raid of Mar-a-Lago, I said the same thing at that point, that a federal judge had found probable cause to sign off on a search warrant, which means there’s something,” Christie claimed.
Christie also attempted to score points by referencing former National Security Advisor John Bolton and ongoing disputes over classified information.
“I think it’s kind of funny to hear the president talk the way he does about Bolton and classified information, yet when he had classified information, the same rules didn’t apply,” Christie said.
Trump’s Fiery Response
President Trump answered with a pointed rebuttal on Truth Social:
“I just watched Sloppy Chris Christie be interviewed on a ratings challenged ‘News’ Show, ‘This Week With George Slopadopolus,’ on ABC Fake News.
(By the way, what the ‘hell’ happened to Jonathan Karl’s hair? He looks absolutely terrible! It’s amazing what bad ratings, on a failed television show that was forced to pay me $16,000,000, can do to one’s appearance!)
Can anyone believe anything that Sloppy Chris says? 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.
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? NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT.”
Christie’s Counterclaims
Christie, whose 2024 GOP presidential run fizzled in January, continued his attacks, accusing Trump of rejecting the principle of separation between the presidency and the Justice Department. He alleged Trump “told you he was going to do this, that he was going to have a Justice Department that acted as his personal legal representation, and that is what they’re doing.”
The former governor also questioned convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell’s statements distancing Trump from Jeffrey Epstein. While conceding, “in my own experience, John, I don’t think Donald Trump had anything to do with — with Jeffrey Epstein that was untoward or illegal,” Christie attempted to undermine Maxwell’s credibility, saying:
“Look, Ghislaine Maxwell recruited 15, 16-year-old girls to be sex slaves to Jeffrey Epstein. And she was convicted of that in federal court. Why should we believe a damn thing Ghislaine Maxwell has to say about anyone?”
The Takeaway
President Trump’s broadside signals he is not afraid to put political critics under the microscope, especially when their past scandals remain unresolved. For Christie, who once postured as a Trump ally before turning into one of his fiercest opponents, the specter of Bridgegate may not yet be behind him.