A new survey indicates that the Bridgegate scandal may be taking a bigger toll than previously thought on the public’s view of Chris Christie. After several polls showed public opinion about the New Jersey governor largely unchanged following revelations that one of his top aides played a role in the closure of lanes leading on to the George Washington Bridge, a poll taken last week shows the number of Americans who hold an unfavorable view of Christie doubling over the last year.
In January 2013, 17 percent of respondents in a Pew poll held an unfavorable view of Christie, but a poll taken last week has that number skyrocketing to 34 percent as the bridge closure and subsequent investigations loom over his administration. More than half of those polls, 58 percent, said they do not believe Christie’s claim that he did not have any knowledge of his aide’s involvement in the lane closures.
Christie’s favorability rating, however, has remained constant: It sits at 38 percent this year compared to 40 percent a year ago.