Chris Christie starts TV career by telling President Trump not to meet with Mueller

If Chris Christie was Donald Trump, a meeting with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team wouldn't happen, Christie said in his first appearance as an ABC News contributor Tuesday morning.

The former New Jersey governor appeared with on a segment hosted by George Stephanopoulos of "Good Morning America'' and is slated to return tonight to provide commentary for the president's State of the Union address.

For a preview of the Trump speech, watch the video at the top of the page.

Trump last week said he's willing to testify in the special counsel's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election — and will do so under oath.

Don't do it, Christie said, adding, "I don’t think there has been any credible allegations'' against Trump.

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"I don’t think the President of the United States – unless there are credible allegations, which I don’t believe there are – should be sitting across from a special counsel,'' he said. "The presidency is different. I don’t think they should do that. I think the administration is cooperative in other ways. Lots of people have gone to meet with (Mueller).’'

Christie comes from experience on this.

He faced a similar predicament several years ago when the Bridgegate investigation was building -- and he sat for an interrogation by federal investigators and FBI agents probing the 2013 George Washington Bridge lane-closure scandal that dogged his administration as governor of New Jersey.

Christie avoided prosecution but the episode wounded his presidential aspirations.

Bob Jordan bjordan@gannettnj.com

,there Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in his debut as an ABC News commentator said

I don’t believe so. I don’t think there has been any credible allegations and I don’t think the president of the United states – unless there are credible allegations, which I don’t believe there are – should be sitting across a special counsel. The presidency is different. I don’t think they should do that. I thnk the administration is cooperative in other ways. Lots of people have gone to meet with him.’’