Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said he blames former President Donald Trump for infecting him with coronavirus last year, telling PBS’ Firing Line With Margaret Hoover he thinks it’s “undeniable” the former president’s lax approach to health precautions led Christie to have such a severe case of Covid-19 that he thought it might kill him.
In an excerpt of the PBS interview, which is set to air Friday, Christie says he always “suspected” Trump gave him the coronavirus, but he believes a revelation from former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows that Trump tested positive three days before he participated in the first presidential candidates’ debate confirmed Christie’s suspicions.
Meadows said in his new book, released Tuesday, that Trump tested positive on September 26, but continued doing debate prep with Christie and others without social distancing or mask-wearing.
Christie tested positive for Covid-19 on October 3 and was admitted to the hospital later that day, where he would spend a week in the intensive care unit.
Christie said in his own recently released book that Trump called him while he was hospitalized and asked him: “Are you going to say you got it from me?”
“I can’t believe Mark Meadows didn’t tell me,” Christie said. “He had an obligation to tell us. To tell us that, hey, he [Trump] tested positive. I would have worn a mask if I knew that.”