Gov. Christie, pictured in this 2011 file photo at Point Pleasant Beach, was involved in a heated argument in Seaside Heights Thursday night in a video captured by TMZ.SEASIDE HEIGHTS — The YouTube governor is at it again.
In an angry moment caught on video, Gov. Chris Christie let loose on an identified critic on the Seaside Heights boardwalk Thursday night — gesturing with one hand as he held an ice cream cone in the other.
According to the website TMZ.com, which obtained the video, Christie was in Seaside Heights with his family on Thursday when a passerby made a "snide" remark about his education policy.
Christie, who relishes confrontation with protestors and hostile questioners at town halls and rallies, did not shy away from the challenge.
"You’re a real big shot," Christie, yelled as he walked toward the man. "You’re a real big shot shooting your mouth off."
The man shouted back "Nah, just take care of the teachers."
As the man was leaving, Christie said "keep walking away. Really good. Keep walking," and then was gently guided away by a man in his entourage, who put his hand on Christie’s shoulder.
State Police Sgt. Brian Polite said the passerby, who is not identified in the video, was not stopped or questioned by police.
The confrontation, the video of which appears to have been shot on a cell phone camera, is sure to gather thousands of views. It came the same day Christie celebrated 5 million views of his 603 videos posted to YouTube.
The video adds to a rich collection of Christie conflagrations. Just last week, Christie made national headlines when he asked if a reporter if he was "stupid" and called him an "idiot" for asking an off-topic question at a press conference.
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Christie is vacationing with his family near Seaside Heights at the state-owned governor’s beach house in Island Beach State Park. His office had no official response, but an official close to the governor said it was a curse word that set him off. The online video does not include the initial remark.
"The governor was with his children and the guy swore at him. He’s a father, so it’s difficult to blame him for his reaction," said the official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the incident.
Christie’s opponents seized on the outburst. State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), who is considering running against the governor next year, warned on the social networking website Twitter that "parents should (be) alert (to) unpredictable outbursts of anger."
Seaside Heights played host to three seasons of the MTV hit "Jersey Shore," which Christie has maligned for sullying the Garden State’s image. Among the most notorious scenes from the show was a drunken boardwalk brawl.
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