Why Chris Christie Once Got Slammed For Attending His Son Andrew's Baseball Game
Following the electoral fraud allegations by Donald Trump, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has built a reputation as one of the few Republicans to stand up to the former president. Political commentator and comedian Joy Behar even described him as a "champion of the left" for standing against Donald Trump's 2024 campaign. However, not too long ago, Christie was primarily known as a conservative governor on an anti-waste campaign. He significantly cut funding for public schools and pensioners, channeling resources only into areas he deemed important.
One such prioritized affair was attending his son Andrew Christie's baseball game using a state-owned private helicopter, resulting in taxpayers covering the cost of his grand entrance. The aircraft, worth $12.5 million, was initially designated for homeland security use. This typically included transporting critically injured people and responding to emergencies. Christie landed at a football field in Montvale, a short distance from the high school where the game was being played, and then took a limousine from the field to see his son play. Adding to the controversy, the then-governor left after only the fifth inning.
Chris Christie initially refused to refund New Jersey for the costs
Chris Christie's actions drew criticisms from New Jersey citizens and Democrat lawmakers. Representative Annette Quijano pointed out to the Associated Press that the then-governor's use of the helicopters could have deprived someone in need of them (via nj.com). Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle also highlighted that Christie had left with the helicopter during the fifth inning "to meet with wealthy Iowa political donors," according to nj.com.
However, Governor Christie remained unapologetic. He stated that his actions had helped the pilots by adding additional miles flown on their logs to retain their certifications (per CBS). The politician said he was a "governor 24/7 every single day" but also a father, justifying his helicopter use.
Chris Christie eventually relented two days later, on June 2, 2011, and paid $2,251 for his personal use of the helicopter. The State Republican Committee paid an additional $919 to balance his payments. The then-governor remarked that his payments were made to refocus attention on the more pressing matters and to eliminate distractions from "hacks," as CBS reported.
Andrew Christie said he was happy his dad made the game
Two weeks after the scandal, Chris Christie and his wife, daughter, and son Andrew Christie were guests on "Piers Morgan Tonight." When asked about his involvement in the helicopter scandal, the politician clarified that he had no regrets about being there for his son (via Politico). Similarly, Andrew relayed that he was "just happy that [Chris Christie] came to the game."
The then-teenager explained that his father had told him beforehand that he could only make it by taking the helicopter. "So, I kind of laughed and said, 'OK, fine, if you're going to be able to make it,'" he recounted. The helicopter-to-the-baseball game scandal wasn't the only time that Chris Christie's politics directed displeasure at his family. Another notably memorable case was Chris Christie's "Beachgate" scandal.
In 2017, the governor, his family, and friends were pictured at Island Beach State Park in New Jersey. They appeared to be the perfect group of Americans enjoying the holiday, except that the park was closed to the public by the government's order. As one X, formerly known as Twitter, user noted, it seemed the clear narrative was that Chris Christie orchestrated the shutdown of the beaches and went on to enjoy them privately, denying the rest of the state access.