Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) in his new book wrote that President Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner thought firing former national security adviser Michael Flynn would end the Russia controversy, according to The New York Times.
Christie, who was booted from Trump’s transition team, in his new book “Let Me Finish,” wrote that Kushner and Trump told him they believed firing Flynn would put an end to the escalating concerns around the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.
{mosads}Christie wrote that Trump told him, “This Russia thing is all over now, because I fired Flynn.”
The former New Jersey governor, a close Trump ally, told the president, “’Sir … this Russia thing is far from over,” he wrote.
“What do you mean?” Trump reportedly responded. “Flynn met with the Russians. That was the problem. I fired Flynn. It’s over.”
Kushner chimed in then, according to Christie, saying, “That’s right, firing Flynn ends the whole Russia thing.”
Christie in the book wrote that the conversation was “naïve,” according to the Times.
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia has lasted for more than a year.
In that time, more than two dozen Russian nationals and entities have been charged for their alleged efforts to interfere in the 2016 election, and Mueller has indicted individuals with ties to the Trump campaign and administration.
Flynn was forced to resign early in the Trump administration over revelations about his communication with a Russian ambassador to the United States. The former national security adviser has since pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contact with Russians.
“Flynn was a train wreck from beginning to end,” Christie wrote in the new book, according to the Times.
Christie also wrote that he spent time with Trump following the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape that captured Trump saying derogatory things about women, including, “Grab ’em by the pussy.” Christie wrote that was one of the first times he had seen Trump embarrassed, the Times reported.
Christie’s book is set to be released on Tuesday.