A spokesman for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Monday clashed with an MSNBC host over Christie's trip to a state beach less than a day after ordering state parks and beaches closed.

Christie traveled Saturday to the state-owned Island Beach State Park, joined by his wife and children, and was spotted by a local news photographer lounging on the beach. The photos quickly went viral online.

Asked about the beach trip by MSNBC’s Katy Tur, Christie spokesperson Brian Murray defended the governor’s trip, saying he was only “on the beach for 45 minutes.”

.@AndyMills_NJ gets pics of Christie lounging on a state beach closed to the public during government shutdown https://t.co/FVfC5jkCdQ pic.twitter.com/kO1tDjOYM1 — Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) July 2, 2017

“You’re using some photographs about a man on the beach with his family. That’s a scandal, apparently,” Murray said.

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“That beach is closed 365 days a year. That particular segment of the beach is part of the governor’s residence. He was on the beach for 45 minutes, [then] came back to work in Trenton.”

Tur asked Murray if Christie would be holding a news conference about the government shutdown over his dispute with the Democrat-led legislature.

“We’re going to see,” Murray said.

Christie ordered state parks and beaches to close Friday night after New Jersey went into a government shutdown.

Tur then pivoted, asking Murray if Christie “got some sun” during his beach visit. The question was a reference to Christie saying Sunday he "didn't get any sun" before the photos of Christie on the beach were released. Afterward, Murray told a reporter the governor “did not get any sun. He had a baseball hat on.”

“Yesterday? He was on the beach for 45 minutes. I’ll let you decide,” Murray said.

“Well, he’s sitting in some sun, I’ll tell you that much," Tur replied.

Christie mocked coverage from The Newark Star-Ledger in an interview with a local Fox affiliate on Monday.

"What a great bit of journalism by The Star-Ledger. They actually caught a politician being where he said he was going to be with the people he said he was going to be with, his wife and children and their friends," he said.

"I am sure they will get a Pulitzer for this one. They caught me doing what I said I was going to do with the people I said I was going to be with."