President Donald Trump unleashed a potent threat on Sunday, vowing to initiate a federal investigation into former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie concerning the infamous “Bridgegate” scandal. This controversy, rooted in the closure of access to the George Washington Bridge in 2013, was reportedly a retaliatory act against the Fort Lee mayor’s refusal to back Christie. While two of Christie’s associates faced convictions related to the event, Christie himself has avoided any criminal charges.
During his appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” Christie did not shy away from confronting Trump. He referenced the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago in 2022, which led to charges against Trump for mishandling classified documents—charges that were later dropped. “When we talked about this in the context of the raid of Mar-a-Lago,” Christie argued, “a federal judge had found probable cause to sign off on a search warrant, which means there’s something.” His criticism didn’t stop there, as he noted the irony of Trump “talk[ing] the way he does about Bolton and classified information, yet when he had classified information, the same rules didn’t apply.”
Trump’s response was swift and scathing. He took to Truth Social to chastise Christie, dubbing him “Sloppy Chris Christie” and disparaging the ABC show as “ratings challenged.” In his characteristically bombastic style, Trump remarked, “Can anyone believe anything that Sloppy Chris says?” He dragged in the Bridgegate incident, suggesting Christie had acted out of desperation to avoid imprisonment while dragging others down with him. “Chris refused to take responsibility for these criminal acts,” Trump said, adding a chilling reminder that “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW!”
In the ongoing exchange, Christie made a critical observation about Trump’s approach to law and governance. He claimed that Trump “sees himself as the person who gets to decide everything, and he doesn’t care about any separation” between political leadership and criminal investigations. Christie pointed out that Trump has effectively signaled intentions to control the Justice Department, using it as a tool for personal gain during the GOP presidential race.
Christie also voiced skepticism regarding Ghislaine Maxwell’s claims about Trump’s alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein, saying, “Look, Ghislaine Maxwell recruited 15, 16-year-old girls to be sex slaves to Jeffrey Epstein.” He emphasized that while he doesn’t believe Trump was involved in anything illegal with Epstein, the notion of presuming Trump’s innocence based on Maxwell’s statements was absurd. “Why should we believe a damn thing Ghislaine Maxwell has to say about anyone?” he challenged.
Christie’s commentary brings to light the complicated web of political animosity and legal scrutiny that continues to surround both him and Trump. As their feud escalates, the implications of such a federal investigation, if it materializes, could reverberate through their contentious history, marking yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of Trump’s tumultuous political landscape.
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