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US Governor Chris Christie is being pilloried for taking his family to a closed public beach during a government shutdown.
Key points:
- Beaches, parks, motor vehicle offices closed as part of government shutdown
- Government in standoff with Democrats over new budget
- Chris Christie defends beach visit, saying it was always planned
Beaches are usually packed on the Fourth of July weekend in the US, but not in New Jersey, where Mr Christie ordered them closed last week as part of a state government shutdown over a budget standoff.
But the beaches were not apparently closed to the Governor and his family, who were photographed enjoying the sun on an empty beach on Sunday.
"I didn't get any sun today," Mr Christie told reporters at a news conference later in the day in Trenton.
Then, when told of the photos, his spokesman told NJ.com the Governor was telling the truth because he was wearing a baseball hat.
Mr Christie defended his visit to the shore, saying he had previously announced his plans to holiday at the state-owned governor's beach house.
"They [media] actually caught a politician being where he said he was going to be with the people he said he was going to be with, his wife and children and their friends," Mr Christie said in an interview with the New York Fox TV station.
"I am sure they will get a Pulitzer for this one."
Christie at 15 per cent approval rating
Online, people mocked the Governor as selfish and arrogant.
"That's the way it goes. Run for governor and you can have the residence," Mr Christie had said on Saturday.
Mr Christie, well known as one of the most pugnacious figures in US politics, was an early supporter of Donald Trump.
He is deeply unpopular in his home state, with an approval rating of just 15 per cent.
Mr Christie ordered a shutdown of non-essential state services over the holiday weekend — including parks, beaches and motor vehicle offices — after he and the Democratic-controlled legislature were unable to agree on a budget to start the new fiscal year.
However, he today said he will sign a budget bill to end the shutdown, and that all state parks and beaches would be open on Tuesday for the country's July 4 holiday.
The Governor had blamed a top Democratic politician for the shutdown, with the state plastering "closed" signs at parks with assembly speaker Vincent Prieto's picture and office phone number.
Topics: government-and-politics, world-politics, united-states
First posted