• U.S.
  • New Jersey

Plane Flying Over New Jersey Tells Chris Christie to ‘Get the Hell Off’ the Beach

2 minute read

A plane carrying a banner telling New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to get off the beach earned cheers from beach-goers Monday.

Christie sparked widespread outrage on Sunday after photos emerged showing the governor and his family enjoying time at a New Jersey beach that had been closed to the public due to a government shutdown.

“Tell Gov. Christie: Get the hell off Island Beach State Park,” the banner read, according to a video of the flight passing by.

The message to Christie flipped the governor’s notable line from August 2011, when he warned New Jersey beachgoers that Hurricane Irene was going to hit the shore. “I saw some of these news feeds that I’ve been watching upstairs of people sitting on the beach in Asbury Park,” Christie said during a press conference at the time. “Get the hell off the beach in Asbury Park and get out. You’re done. It’s 4:30. You’ve maximized your tan. Get off the beach.”

As the plane flew over Seaside Park, turning the tables on Christie’s message, people on the beach clapped and cheered.

Justin Auciello, the publisher of Jersey Shore Hurricane News, was on the beach when the plane flew overhead late Monday afternoon. Auciello, who recorded the video, told TIME the plane looked like it was heading south, toward the governor’s mansion, and that it flew back north about 15 minutes later.

“We assumed it would head over his house,” he said.

Auciello said people on the beach were overjoyed by the banner.

“People said they wanted to shake the person’s hand or buy him a beer,” he said.

More Must-Reads From TIME

Write to Mahita Gajanan at mahita.gajanan@time.com