New Jersey Governor Chris Christie reportedly believes that he could have taken the presidency in 2016 had it not been for Donald Trump.


New Jersey Governor Chris Christie reportedly believes that he could have taken the presidency in 2016 had it not been for Donald Trump.  "I absolutely believe if Trump had not gotten into the race I think we would have won," Christie recently told NJ.com. Though Christie ultimately gave his support to Trump, he does recall tensions between them earlier in the 2016 primary. During a 2015 rally, Trump asserted that Christie had knowledge of the George Washington Bridge closure incident that came to be known as "Bridgegate," according to The Hill. Christie said he told Trump, "You know that's not true, so stop, OK?" That scandal contributed to the rapid, downward spiral in Christie's approval ratings, which ultimately hit unprecedented lows. 
Politico reports that a June 2017 "Quinnipiac University poll [showed] Christie's approval rating among New Jersey voters at just 15 percent, with 81 percent disapproving."
"Christie's approval rating is the lowest Quinnipiac found for any governor it measured in any state in more than 20 years," the outlet further noted.
Nonetheless, Christie told NJ.com, "They're going to miss me when I'm gone." His replacement, Governor-elect Phil Murphy, will be sworn in on January 16, reports the New York Post.