One resident of New Jersey said the registration on his car has expired and he drove to the DMV in Rahway, NJ to find out the New Jersey government had been shut down. Yes, Christie told reporters at a Sunday news conference in Trenton, his family was staying in the state-owned beach house at Island Beach State Park over the July 4 weekend — even though the park was closed to the public amid a statewide government shutdown. “When I have a choice between sleeping with my family or sleeping alone, I generally like to sleep where my family is.”

The governor was photographed by NJ.com sitting with his family on a beach chair in sandals and a T-shirt before flying to talk to reporters in Trenton, where he worked without result to end the shutdown. Asked if he got any sun, Christie replied “I didn’t get any sun today.”

When later told of the photo showing him relaxing on the beach, Christie’s spokesman Brian Murray said: “Yes, the governor was on the beach briefly today talking to his wife and family before heading into the office.”

But that did not mean Christie got any sun. Even worse, when asked Sunday afternoon at a news conference if he’d gotten any sun, Christie replied: “I didn’t. Chris Christie caught sunbathing at beach closed to public because of government shutdown View Photos The New Jersey governor was captured in pictures enjoying the beach with family and friends, despite the fact that it?s closed to everyone else. After the photos were posted online Sunday and, predictably, went viral, the governor’s spokesman said: “He did not get any sun. He had a baseball hat on.”

Christie, whose term ends in January 2018, had closed the beach, and others, Saturday because of the budget standoff. Chris Christie & guests enjoying NJ beach — after he ordered state beaches closed to the public over a budget fight https://t.co/aD3pkhT4vFpic.twitter.com/JkAh31BG08 — Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 2, 2017

I think this may be empirical proof that Chris Christie actually wants his approval ratings to go into the single digits. Christie defended his use of the state property during the shutdown that affected the public, which is being kept out of state parks with signs blaming Democratic Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, on Saturday, saying: “That’s the way it goes. Governors in New Jersey and Maine shut down state government after lawmakers remained locked in a standoff and failed to reach budget deals before Friday’s midnight deadline. When asked if he thought it was fair that his family could enjoy the park though other New Jersey’s residents could not, the governor said the beach house wasn’t near the park, adding his family didn’t seek state services. The plan was to fly along the Jersey Shore on the holiday and shoot the crowded beaches, juxtaposed with the empty stretches of sand that were off-limits because of the government shutdown, if it were still in effect.” Here’s more:

But when Sunday’s weather looked good, and the governor’s schedule was open except for an afternoon press briefing in Trenton, I wondered, “What are the chances ...?” “Let’s take a shot,” I said.
Governor Chris Christie is caught sunbathing with his family on a beach he had ordered closed for the fourth of July holiday. The beach was closed to the public amid a state budget crisis.