Murphy Responds To 'Smart Aleck' Christie Over COVID Criticism

NEW JERSEY - Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie spoke critically about his successor's long-term care mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic on a radio program, and Phil Murphy wasn't having it.

"There's a talking point and it sounds really good, Governor Christie hit this the other day and I would suggest this to him, I know he is doing really well lobbying over coronavirus clients, it's really important to know what the facts are," Murphy said at Monday's COVID-19 briefing. "Don't like the facts get in the way, God forbid."

Murphy is referring to the Christie saying he made an "outrageous" and "monumental" mistake by requiring state nursing homes to take in coronavirus patients.

"Think about this," Christie told Fox News Radio's Guy Benson. "New Jersey, as you know, has the second most [coronavirus] deaths of any state in the country. And based upon the number of confirmed cases, they are by far number one in the percentage of deaths. If you look at it, the first one is New York, which has about double the deaths of New Jersey, but has nearly triple the number of cases that New Jersey has."

Murphy vehemently disagreed with that characterization, noting that his administration was crystal clear and explicit about any reintroduction of COVID positive residents into long-term care facilities came with conditions. They would need to cohort, separate into different floors, or different buildings or different wings. The order included staff.

"And if you can't do it, any many came to us and said we can't do that can you help us find a place for these COVID positive patients, we did exactly that," he said. "So that talking point is myth."

Murphy also said that it may have happened, but it was explicitly against the guidance of his administration.

"With all due respect to the Monday morning quarterbacking and color commentary and checking in now again on a pandemic: this is war. Morning, noon and night and it is crystal clear what our directives were as it relates to long-term care and COVID-19 positives and whether its Governor Christie or any other smart aleck who says it was one thing when it was another, give us a break," he said, noting there will be a full investigation on the directives about reintroducing COVID-19 patients to long-term care facilities. "It was black and white and if folks violated it they will pay a price."

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