Politics

Chris Christie Allegedly Threatened To Sit On Mike Bloomberg

(Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

Anders Hagstrom White House Correspondent
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Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie allegedly threatened to sit on billionaire Mike Bloomberg in 2010, according to a memoir from former New York Gov. David Paterson.

The memoir, obtained and reported on by the New York Post, tells of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Ground Zero in New York City in 2010, where she was scheduled to lay a wreath. Christie and Paterson, then the governors of their respective states, stood waiting for the queen and Bloomberg, then the mayor of New York City, who was reportedly late.

“I was told by the protocol people that nobody escorts the Queen but Prince Philip,” Christie said, according to the Post. “But I bet you that Bloomberg is going to try to stand in front of us both and escort her.”

“Yeah Chris, Michael always takes charge like that,” Paterson says he told Christie. “I’m OK with it.”

“Well I’m not putting up with it this time. If he tries it today, I want you to trip him and I’m gonna sit on him,” Christie said.

Pictures from 2010 show both Bloomberg and Christie in close proximity to the Queen during the event. (RELATED: Chris Christie Registers To Be Lobbyist For Addiction Center Chain)

NEW YORK - JULY 06: Queen Elizabeth II meets New Jersey Governor Chris Christie during a visit Ground Zero at the World Trade Center site on July 6, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

NEW YORK – JULY 06: Queen Elizabeth II meets New Jersey Governor Chris Christie during a visit Ground Zero at the World Trade Center site on July 6, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

The Post goes on to report that Paterson says he was in fact the first to greet Queen Elizabeth.

“Now I was told by the protocol people that nobody touches the Queen, so when she touched my shoulder to get my attention, I jumped back thinking I had breached protocol,” the memoir reportedly says. “I regained my composure and said, alluding to the excessive temperature, ‘your majesty, I know you were expecting a warm reception but this is superfluous.'”