Governor Murphy Blasts Chris Christie For New Jersey's 'Biggest Policy Mistake' In 50 Years: '20% Of American Economy Rides On These...'

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy On Friday berated former Governor Chris Christie for blocking the Gateway tunnel project linking New York and New Jersey.

What Happened: Murphy, in an interview during NBC’s “Meet the Press,” criticized Christie for what he called the “biggest policy mistake” in the past 50 years in the state.

Murphy said that Christie’s decision to cancel the construction of a new tunnel between New York City and New Jersey in 2010 was a significant error, and if it hadn’t been stopped, the tunnels would have been completed five years ago. "The tunnels that exist were built in 1910," Murphy said. 

See Also: Chris Christie Says Trump ‘Almost Certain’ To ‘Face Jail’ If Mar-A-Lago Secret Documents Case Goes To Trial

"They've been damaged severely over the years. This is two new rail tunnels under the Hudson River. It's a game changer for New Jersey commuters, but tragically — the project that was canceled by my predecessor would have been opened five years ago. So, we're going to get it, but it's sadly later than it should have been."

Murphy pointed out that the cost of constructing the tunnel has significantly increased since Christie’s time in office. The Access to the Region’s Core project, which aimed to build two new tunnels, was canceled by Christie’s administration, citing the rising costs for the state. 

See Also: Christie Calling Out Trump, White House Cocaine Discovery, Potential Taiwan Conflict And More: This Week In Politics

"Oh, it definitely costs more money," Murphy said, adding, "But we have no choice. This is … 20% of the American economy rides on these rails, and thousands of commuters from New Jersey go into New York every day. We have no choice."

Why It Matters: Since launching his campaign on June 6, Christie has faced an uphill battle, currently polling at around 2.5% compared to Trump’s leading numbers in the GOP primary race. However, recent aggregated polling from RealClear Politics suggests that Christie has seen a modest increase in support compared to other GOP candidates.

Read Next: Chris Christie Blasts Trump For Using Campaign Donations To Cover Legal Expenses: ‘He’s The Cheapest…I’ve Ever Met’

Photo by Bryan Littel on Shutterstock