New Jersey Governor Chris Christie brushed off criticism on Monday after he was caught on camera taking a break from dealing with a government shutdown to lounge on a state beach that was closed to the public during the July Fourth holiday weekend.
When a morning TV show host said he could understand why people were upset by photos taken by a local newspaper that showed Christie and his family sunbathing on an empty beach, Christie responded, "Well, I'm sorry, they're not the governor," referring to the governor's residence at the state park.
The Republican governor was already the least popular governor in modern New Jersey history, and the publication of the photos triggered mockery from critics online, some of whom posted spoof images of Christie kicking back in a beach chair in a wide range of locations, including the Oval Office.
The saga, dubbed "beachgate" by some local news media, threw a spotlight on stalled budget negotiations that have caused partial government shutdowns in New Jersey and in Maine, and led to the suspension of many nonessential services.
That included New Jersey's state parks, which closed on Saturday, forcing many to alter their holiday weekend plans. More than 30,000 state workers were on furlough on Monday.
President-elect Donald Trump, left, gestures as he talks to the media as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (AAP) Source: AAP
In Maine, the state police, parks and offices responsible for collecting revenue all planned to work through the shutdown, the state's first since 1991. But the majority of its 12,000 state employees will be furloughed.
Members of Maine's State Employees Association rallied outside the State House on Monday to demand a budget deal from lawmakers and Republican Governor Paul LePage.
"Governor LePage won't answer his door - we want to work!" organizers posted on Twitter, with photos and videos of dozens of the association's members holding placards and chanting.
'Beyond words'
Christie, a former Republican presidential candidate who is in the last year of his second and final term running the state, had been staying with his family at the governor's residence at Island Beach State Park.
On Monday, he noted that 119 miles (190 km)of the state's 130 miles (210 km) of beaches were open, and that it was "another beautiful day" at the Jersey shore. "Come and enjoy them -- but use sunscreen and hydrate!" the governor wrote on Twitter.
Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, who hopes to succeed him, was among many to slam Christie's quiet time on the dunes.
"It's beyond words," tweeted Guadagno, also a Republican.
Many agreed the move was tone-deaf, with one typical headline in local news media reading: "Christie is blistered over his day at the beach."
Christie is fighting New Jersey lawmakers over a controversial bill that he says must be passed alongside the state's budget.
The budget itself has been passed by committees in both houses, but Christie says he will strike out hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for schools and other key services if the Democrat-led Assembly does not vote on a separate bill to restructure the state's largest health insurer.
That threat was enough to prevent Democratic Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto from getting enough votes to pass the budget on Friday, triggering the shutdown. All 80 members of New Jersey's Assembly are up for re-election in November.
Prieto left the vote open over the weekend, and one vote switched from "abstain" to "yes", but the Assembly is still 13 legislators short of the votes needed to pass the budget.
Christie said at a news conference on Sunday that he was open to hearing other proposals from Democrats but he expected the shutdown would likely continue through the July Fourth holiday.
At that same news conference, before the photos were published, Christie said he did not get any sun this weekend. His spokesman later clarified that was because the governor was wearing a baseball hat.
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