New Jersey governor Chris Christie opened up to ABC News‘ Diane Sawyer about last year’s controversial lane closure on the George Washington, saying that the aides and appointees responsible for the closure were “inexplicably stupid” about it.
Asked by Sawyer whether it strained credulity that aides and appointees would enact the lane closure over “a personal annoyance,” Christie replied: “When things were first reported, I said, ‘This can’t possibly be true. Because who would do something like that. Sometimes people do inexplicably stupid things.’”
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During the exclusive interview — Christie’s first since his January press conference on the closure — the governor added, “And so that’s what makes it so hard to, as the guy in charge, you … none of it made any sense to me, And to some extent still does not.”
The interview comes on the heels of a report, issued Thursday, stating that Christie had no involvement in the closure.
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The closure of multiple lanes on the bridge, which caused havoc in Fort Lee, N.J., led to the firing of two Christie aides, who allegedly had the lanes closed in retaliation against Fort Lee’s mayor.
Noting that it’s been “a very, very rough time professionally,” Christie said, “You don’t sleep, you don’t eat … you struggle.”
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Watch a clip from Sawyer’s interview below. The full interview airs on ABC’s “World News With Diane Sawyer” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
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