Christie Trump

Gov. Chris Christie (left) and Donald Trump talk during a break in the third Republican presidential debate at the University of Colorado in October.

(Mark J. Terrill | The Associated Press)

TRENTON -- Donald Trump launched into a blistering attack of Republican presidential rival Chris Christie on Monday night, at one point suggesting the New Jersey governor knew about the lane closings at the center of the George Washington Bridge scandal before they happened.

"He knew about it," the billionaire businessman and former Atlantic City casino magnate said of Christie during a campaign rally in South Carolina. "He totally knew about it."

Trump's depiction of Christie is at odds with what the governor has said repeatedly for nearly two years: that he had no prior knowledge of and had nothing to do with the lane closings at the nation's busiest bridge in 2013.

Trump -- who leads the GOP race in the national polls -- also blasted Christie's handling of New Jersey's economy, stressing that the state has seen nine credit downgrades under the governor.

And the real estate tycoon attacked Christie for one of the governor's most controversial moments among many Republican voters: welcoming President Obama to New Jersey in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and praising the Democratic president's response to the storm a few days before his 2012 re-election victory over Mitt Romney.

Spokespeople for both Christie's office and campaign did not immediately return messages seeking comment Monday night.

The remarks came hours after Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" amid growing fears over terrorism in the wake of the Paris and California attacks.

A number of Trump's opponents for the 2016 Republican nomination slammed the proposal for being extreme -- including Christie, who called it "a ridiculous position and one that won't even be productive."

"This is the kind of thing that people say when they have no experience and don't know what they're talking about," the governor said during a radio interview. "We do not need to endorse that type of activity, nor should we."

Trump -- who often says he does not insult his opponents until they throw the first punch -- shot back at Christie later in the night during a rally in Mount Pleasant, S.C.

"I've been nice to Christie, but he really hit me today," the businessman said of the governor, who is trying to fight back from poll numbers that put him toward the middle of the GOP pack. "He's a friend of mine. But he's not doing well in the polls. And he really, really hit me today."

That's when Trump criticized Christie over the bridge controversy -- known as Bridgegate -- a scandal in which a former aide and one of his appointees to the Port Authority face federal charges over their alleged roles. Another Port Authority official has pleaded guilty.

The officials are accused of closing lanes at the George Washington Bridge in September 2013, causing days of heavy traffic in Fort Lee, in a political payback scheme because the town's Democratic mayor declined to endorse Christie for re-election.

Christie, though, has repeatedly said he was not involved in the closings and stressed that he has not been implicated in investigations by federal authorities or state lawmakers. The governor was also cleared in an internal report issued by a law firm he hired to look into the matter.

But on Monday, Trump suggested Christie must have known something.

"So, Chris, who is friend of mine, he hit me hard, and I said I got to hit him at least once," he said. "So I won't do this a lot, but, look, here's the story: The George Washington Bridge. He knew about. How do you have breakfast with people every day of your lives (and not know)?

"They're closing up the largest bridge in the world -- the biggest in the United States -- traffic flowing during rush hour," Trump continued. "People couldn't get across for six, seven hours. Ambulances. Fire trucks."

"They're with him all the time, the people that did it," he added. "They never said, 'Hey, boss, uh, we're closing up the George Washington Bridge.' No, they never said that, they're talking about the weather? Right?"

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally at the U.S.S. Yorktown on Monday night in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

"He knew about it," Trump concluded. "He totally knew about it. He's got a very friendly group of people over there."

The businessman then suggested there is "a less than 1 percent" chance Christie didn't know about the closings ahead of time.

"Could be," Trump said. "He knew about it."

But Trump wasn't done. He then attacked the nine credit downgrades under Christie and the fact that New Jersey consistently ranks as having among the highest property taxes in the nation.

"Nine downgrades," Trump said. "It's a disaster. I have property over there. The taxes are through -- I'll use an expression: coming out of my ears. Tremendous taxes over there."

Trump owns three golf courses in New Jersey and has helped developed skyscrapers in Jersey City.

Christie has argued through the years that he has helped control property taxes in New Jersey, noting that he and state lawmakers ushered in 2 percent caps on property tax increases and the amounts that police and fire unions can win in arbitration.

But Trump still wasn't done. He then blasted Christie for his relationship with Obama, a frequent target of Republican derision.

"You had Christie so friendly with President Obama during the flood," Trump said.

That drew boos from the South Carolina crowd. Many Republicans blame Christie's welcome of Obama after Sandy for helping contribute to Romney's 2012 loss.

"I actually called -- I said, 'Let me ask you: Is he going to vote for Obama?'" Trump recounted. "I thought he was going to vote for Obama. I don't know. I think he possibly did."

It's unclear whom Trump called.

The businessman then noted that Christie had dinner with Romney after the election -- something Trump said he didn't understand.

"If Christie did that to me, I would have never spoken to him again," Trump said.

Christie has repeatedly defending his welcome of Obama after Sandy, saying during a radio interview in April: "I was doing my job."

Christie and Trump have called each other friends for years, and many critics have said Christie has largely avoided attacking Trump head-on during the first few months of the presidential race.

But in recent days, the two have clashed terrorism, with Christie -- New Jersey's former U.S. attorney -- implying that Trump is not experienced enough to handle the issue.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.