Posted on 12/08/2015 5:27:22 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said Monday that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) "totally knew about" the controversial closing of the George Washington Bridge between New York and New Jersey ahead of his 2013 bid for re-election.
Christie has denied having knowledge of a decision by high-ranking officials in his administration to close lanes on the George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey and New York to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., for not endorsing his 2013 bid for reelection.
Trump said Monday that the New Jersey governor had to have knowledge of the lane closures because the decision was made by aides who were his former trusted allies.
"The GW Bridge, he knew about it," Trump said during a speech in Mount Pleasant, S.C. of Christie's involvement in the scandal, which has been dubbed "Bridgegate."
"How do you have breakfast with people everyday of your lives...They're closing up the largest bridge in the world....they're with them all the time," Trump continued. "They never said 'Hey boss, we're closing up the George Washington Bridge.' No, they're talking about the weather right? So he knew about it...He totally knew about it."
Trump added "I would say there's less than one percent chance" Christie was unaware of the decision of close the bridge lanes, which is the most heavily-traveled bridge in the U.S., carrying more than 100 million vehicles per year between New Jersey and New York City.
The GOP presidential frontrunner also criticized Christie for credit downgrades that have occurred during his tenure as New Jersey and appearing with President Obama to tour damage from Hurricane Sandy in the days before the 2012 election.
"I thought he was going to vote for Obama," he said.
"I think he probably did," Trump continued, saying he was disappointed that 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney met with Christie after the election.
"If Christie did that to me, I would have never spoken to him again," Trump said.
Trump said he was criticizing Christie, who he described as a friend, because "he hit me really hard" on his comments earlier on Monday about stopping Muslims from traveling to the U.S. after recent terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernandino, Calif.
Christie, who has been rising in polls in New Hampshire, said Trump's call to ban Muslims from traveling to the U.S. shows he does not have the experience that is necessary to be president.
"Again, this is the kind of thing that people say when they have no experience and don't know what they're talking about" Christie said in a Thursday radio interview on The Michael Medved show.
"We do not need to endorse that type of activity, nor should we," Christie continued. "What we need to do is to increase our intelligence capabilities and activity both around the world and in the homeland."
I’m still reeling over Goebbels Bridge.
Exit 82? I’m exit 69 (really), we’re just about neighbors.
I know, the lanes are a little narrow.
I’m in southern DE now. Used to live in good old Toms River, so exit82 became my nick.
When you get tired of the high taxes in NJ, hop the Cape May ferry and join us in DE.
I like Sen. Cruz.
Thanks for the invite to DE but my next move is to WY, probably the most Conservative of our States. As a lover of privacy the states 500,000 total population appeals to me as do the mountain views.
No inc tax and low, low taxes relative to NJ. Also a CC State.
Sounds wonderful—and you have mountains there.
We only have small hills :(
I have.
Christie “totally” knew about Bridgegate, AFTER the fact. He did not know while it was ongoing. I believe him.
It’s been pretty well dug into and looks like he has “been found innocent.”
If a campaign has dirt, it will come out if he moves up more.
“Ask yourself this. In any state, wouldn’t the Governor of the state be notified of the closing of any high traffic venue like the GWB ?”
if the closing was for legitimate reasons, of course. If you were planning something devious and underhanded at work, would you notify your boss?
I’d wager that Trump would have done the same thing as governor of NJ.
A picture is worth a thousand wagers.
Politics isn’t beanbag, is it?
How in the world would you keep something this big from your boss ?
Another thing Trump will say he never said?
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