Twitter Reacts To Chris Christie Sunbathing On Beach He Closed To Public

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was seen relaxing at the Island Beach State Park on Sunday as the shutdown over budget impasse entered the second day in the state. The shutdown ordered by the state government took effect Saturday stuttering parks and other public sites. The ferry services to Liberty and Ellis Islands were also disrupted, reports said.

As the government order ruined the July 4 weekend plans for most people in the state, Christie was photographed sunbathing along with his family in a picture taken by New Jersey Advance Media.

At a news conference held at the Trenton, the state capital, later in the afternoon, Christie was asked if he got any sun. In response, he reportedly said: "I didn't get any sun today.” However, Brian Murray, the governor's spokesman, confirmed Christie was at the beach, according to multiple reports. "Yes, the governor was on the beach briefly today talking to his wife and family before heading into the office,” he said.

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However, according to Christie, he did not ask for any state services. He told reporters Saturday the beach house was separate from the park. Reports said the governor was moving back and forth from Trenton to the summer beach house at Island Beach State Park provided by the state in Berkeley to deal with the shutdown.

Twitter spared no mercy as the pictures showing the governor relaxing at the beach went viral. Preet Bharara, the former attorney for Manhattan, took a jibe at Christie.

Other social media users, including journalists, too criticized Christie.

Amid the budget standoff between the governor and Democrat-led state legislature, the state government was forced to announce a shutdown on the non-essential services Friday. The governor’s office sent a letter at Friday midnight detailing the agencies that would be closed and to what extent government operations would continue. As the executive order was released, all the public events at parks and historic sites were also closed.

The governor demanded the $34.7 billion budget included a provision requiring the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield to spend some of its reserve fund on public health initiatives — particularly his drug treatment initiative. He threatened to veto any budget that lawmakers sent him unless the provision was included, the New York Times reported. The Senate passed a form of legislation demanded by Christie but Democratic State Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto said he would not pass the Horizon bill.

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Blame game continued Saturday between Christie and the Democrats. The governor told reporters he did not have a “magic wand” to resolve the stalemate. "You want me to wave a magic wand to get a budget?" Christie said. "I can't get a budget to my desk. Only the Senate and Assembly can get the budget to my desk,” he was quoted as saying by the CBS News.

Christie also blamed Prieto. "If there's not a resolution to this today, everyone will be back tomorrow," Christie said, calling the shutdown "embarrassing and pointless." He also repeatedly referred to the government closure as "the speaker's shutdown."

Prieto, meanwhile, reiterated he won't consider the plan as a part of the budget process but would consider it once a budget is signed. He labeled the shutdown "Gov. Christie's Hostage Crisis Day One.” This is the first shutdown in New Jersey in over a decade.