President Trump is threatening to revisit the 2013 “Bridgegate” scandal involving former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The threat comes after Christie criticized Trump’s influence over the Justice Department while commenting on FBI searches of former national security adviser John Bolton’s home and office.
Christie’s interview
Christie, former governor of New Jersey and a former federal prosecutor, said Sunday on ABC News that the FBI searches were supported by warrants signed by two judges.
“I would say there is real evidence that they believe something is there,” Christie said.
At the same time, Christie argued that the investigation into Bolton likely stemmed from Trump himself. Bolton, once a close ally, broke with Trump after leaving the administration.
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“Donald Trump sees himself as the person who gets to decide everything,” Christie said. “He doesn’t care about any separation. In fact, he absolutely rejects the idea there should be separation between criminal investigations and the politically elected leader of the United States.”
Trump reacts
In a Truth Social post Sunday, Trump criticized Christie’s interview and floated the idea of looking into a 2013 scandal known as “Bridgegate.”
“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 wrote. “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?”
Bridgegate background
In September 2013, two of three local access lanes from Fort Lee, New Jersey, onto the George Washington Bridge to Upper Manhattan were closed without notice, creating days of gridlock that local officials said threatened public safety.
Investigations later found Christie’s aides and political appointees orchestrated the closures as alleged political retribution against Fort Lee’s Democratic mayor. Christie’s deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, and Port Authority officials David Wildstein and Bill Baroni were indicted and convicted, though the Supreme Court later overturned the convictions.
Christie has consistently denied knowing about the plan. Regardless, the scandal is cited as one of the reasons Christie’s 2016 presidential bid failed.
Bolton investigation background
The FBI recently searched former national security adviser John Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington office as part of a renewed probe into whether he leaked classified information in his 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened.” The Trump administration sued to block its publication, arguing it revealed sensitive national security details.
A federal judge allowed the book to move forward, but noted that Bolton likely included classified material.
“Bolton has gambled with the national security of the United States,” District Court Judge Royce Lamberth wrote in his June 2020 ruling. “He has exposed his country to harm and himself to civil (and potentially criminal) liability.”
That finding has fueled questions over whether he disclosed information that should have remained secret, which is the basis of the FBI’s investigation.
Former allies turned rivals
Christie and Trump were once close, with Christie serving as head of Trump’s 2016 presidential transition team. Their relationship fractured after Trump refused to concede the 2020 election, and Christie became an outspoken critic. Christie later ran against Trump in the 2024 Republican primary, delivering some of the sharpest attacks within the GOP field.
Bolton also began as a Trump ally, serving as national security adviser during his first term. Trump fired him in 2019 after repeated clashes over foreign policy. Bolton later published the memoir highly critical of Trump’s leadership, and Trump has since labeled him as disloyal. On Friday, President Trump said he found out about the raid on Bolton’s house after it had already happened, and he saw it on TV.
