Chris Christie's had a rough few months. Since news of the Bridgegate scandal broke, he's fallen from the top of the GOP presidential field in early polling, and his approval in his home state has also taken a serious hit. Perhaps the worst part for Christie is that he's begun to lose the national brand he was trying to establish — that of an authentic and likable straight-talker.
Now, with no recent investigation developments and interest in Bridgegate dying down for now, Christie is trying to bring that likability back. So Thursday, he appeared on the Tonight Show and let loose in a dance segment spoofing various embarrassing "dad" dance moves. Afterward, host Jimmy Fallon complimented Christie on how he weathered the storm. "Everyone was just hitting you hard, I gotta just give a little respect to you for just standing in the ring and getting hit like that, and just focusing on what you had to focus on," Fallon said.
But even in the dance routine, Christie didn't get away without one Bridgegate reference. Fallon closed by doing a finger-wagging move he called "This Bridge is Closed" — and Christie looked at the host in feigned annoyance, and walked offstage.
