Did 'Bridgegate' Scuttle Chris Christie's Presidential Bid? Gov Says 'Who Knows?'
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said no one knows for sure why his presidential bid failed when asked if he thought the 2013 traffic jam at the George Washington Bridge may have contributed to the downfall of his campaign.
Speaking Tuesday on the radio show "Ask The Governor," Christie was asked if not for the bridgegate scandal, would it have been him debating against Hillary Clinton Monday night.
"Who knows? You just don't know," he replied. "If I had a slightly better arm, would I have caught for the Mets for 15 years, you know? I don't know."
Christie added that he has "no regrets" about running for president, despite the outcome.
"I ran for president. I did the best I could, I didn't win," he said. "No one can tell you for sure why I didn't win. I can't. No one involved in the race can."
He said he "wouldn't have done it any differently."
"I think I did the very best I could," he said.
Two one-time Christie allies are currently on trial, accused of engineering the four days of gridlock at the George Washington Bridge to punish a Democratic mayor for not endorsing Christie.
At the time of the traffic jams, Christie was running for re-election, and his campaign was trying to secure endorsements from local Democratic officials like Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich in order to win a big landslide victory and demonstrate the governor's broad appeal as a potential candidate for president.
A former Port Authority official, David Wildstein, testified Tuesday that Christie was told about the traffic jam while it was underway. Christie has repeatedly denied that and has not been charged with a crime.
But in the end, the scandal helped sink Christie's White House campaign. Christie once topped the national polls ahead of the 2016 GOP primaries but dropped out after New Hampshire.
Republican nominee Donald Trump has since tapped Christie to lead his transition team.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
