Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) was reportedly denied use of a special access area at Newark airport on Thursday and redirected to the line for the general public, according to reports.
Bloomberg News and CBS reported that Christie attempted to use an entrance reserved for special access, but was stopped by officials and instead directed to the TSA checkpoint line.
The entrance at Newark Liberty International Airport, according to Bloomberg, was the entrance Christie used for eight years as governor of the state. It is reserved for airport personnel or flyers who require additional security personnel to accompany them. The former governor was traveling with a New Jersey State Trooper, who was providing security.{mosads}
Christie pushed back on reports on Twitter, calling them untrue and explaining that he was simply directed by officers to the wrong entrance when they arrived at the airport. Neither entrance, he says, was the special entrance he used as governor.
Christie finished his second term as New Jersey’s governor this month. He was replaced by Gov. Phil Murphy (D) in an election in November.
New Jersey governors are permitted to travel with one state trooper as part of a security entourage for up to six months after leaving office, at their request, according to Bloomberg. Two other governors have also made the request in the past.
Christie left office after receiving the lowest approval rating of any governor in the country over the past 20 years in June, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.
The former governor had an 81 percent disapproval rating. The survey found that even 58 percent of New Jersey Republicans disapproved of him at the time.