Most New Jerseyans say Gov. Chris Christie is lying about Bridgegate and should resign, the first post-apology poll found.
Yet Garden State voters still think the governor is doing a better job than President Obama and isn’t any less ethical than most politicians.
Only 36 percent believe Christie’s claim that he was unaware that a top aide orchestrated the politically motivated closing of George Washington Bridge access lanes, the Rasmussen Reports survey showed.
In contrast, 54 percent said it was at least somewhat likely that Christie knew what was going on.
And 56 percent said he should resign if it is proven that he approved of the tactic to retaliate against a Democratic mayor who refused to endorse Christie’s re-election.
Not surprisingly, the demands for Christie’s head broke sharply along party lines.
Only 34 percent of Republicans and 46 percent of unaffiliated voters believed Christie was lying — while 75 percent of Democrats were convinced he wasn’t telling the truth.
Nevertheless, voters in the survey still gave Christie a 60 percent approval rating, compared to 52 percent for Obama.
Christie could also take comfort that he’s still held in higher regard than politicians in general.
When asked to rate the governor’s ethics compared to other politicians, 33 percent said he is more ethical than most politicians, 21 percent less ethical and 39 percent put him in the same ethical league as his colleagues.
The survey of 800 likely voters, conducted Thursday night after Christie’s press conference, also found that 71 percent suspect that other political figures who failed to back him were targeted by the governor’s staff
And 47 percent believed that members of Christie’s staff who ordered the closing should be criminally prosecuted, while 31 percent said they should not.
Despite the political storm swirling around him, Christie hasn’t canceled a campaign swing to Florida on Friday in his role as chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
The National Journal, which first reported the fund-raising trip, said Christie will be hitting the stump for Florida Gov. Rick Scott in Palm Beach and will also make stops in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
Organizers said the event featuring Christie and Scott is still a go.
A poll taken by Quinnipiac University immediately before the bridge scandal found Christie — a leading contender for the White House in 2016 — was the “hottest” politician in the country when it came to “warmth” and favorability.