New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has come under fire for not returning to the Garden State after Friday’s historic earthquake shook residents.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-New Jersey, after Murphy did not address residents on camera despite several television and phone interviews, including one with CBS on Saturday. told “FOX News Live” on Saturday.
“We haven’t heard anything from the governor. Arcel, on a lighter note, some say it might be a good thing he never came, because every time he comes to New Jersey he raises taxes, tolls, and fees. ‘And subsidize illegal actors,” Van Drew told “FOX News Live” co-anchor Arthel Neville.
“But if you think about it seriously, he wasn’t at a world summit for world peace. I mean, he was at a Democratic convention — basically, probably a more democratic “It’s an association of democratic governors that was looking at ways to create a new governor,” he said.
Van Drew said that during natural disasters, residents are forced to look to New York state leaders for guidance rather than their own governor.
“So I think he could have probably taken 12 hours to get back to New Jersey. We, the people of New Jersey, really have to look at New York, New York officials and what they’re saying. I did,” Van Drew said.
“Even though the actual earthquake was centered in Lebanon, New Jersey, in the northwestern part of the state.”
Republican representatives said Murphy could have easily returned to the state to assure residents of their safety.
“It would have been a great symbol for him to come back and say, ‘I know, everything’s going to be fine.’ I personally want to look at the infrastructure and see what the team has done. .That could have allowed him to return to the tournament, the association he belonged to,” Van Drew said.
“So personally I was a little disappointed that he wasn’t available. It’s very good for people to know that their leader will be there for them when problems arise,” he said.
“And, you know, in the global earthquake program that California and other states are looking at, this wasn’t a huge thing, but New Jersey was the largest earthquake that we’ve seen in nearly 150 years. It was an earthquake. I wish he had been there.”
FOX News has reached out to Murphy’s office for comment.
On Saturday, the governor wrote to X that the state’s emergency operations center was shut down Saturday morning.
“The State Emergency Operations Center has ceased operations as of 10 a.m. today,” Murphy wrote.
“There are no reports of major damage to buildings, roads or infrastructure from yesterday’s earthquake.”
The earthquake measured at least 4.8 on the Richter scale and struck at 10:23 a.m. Friday near Lebanon, New Jersey, about 45 miles west of New York City and 80 miles north of Philadelphia, according to the USGS.
Estimates suggest that more than 42 million people in 14 states, from Maine to North Carolina, may have felt the quake. More than 20 aftershocks have been felt since then.
More than 152,000 Americans have reported to the USGS that they are feeling shaken.
