Murphy, singer say video of NJ crowd booing governor is misleading

🎵 Singer Brian Kirk said the video of Gov.Phil Murphy being booed was 'enhanced'

🎵 Murphy said the video was 'skewed'

🎵 Crowds on the shore have not been kind to Murphy

RED BANK — Gov. Phil Murphy and the singer he briefly shared the stage with on July 3 said a video shared by a conservative blogger showing the governor getting booed does not tell the whole story.

Murphy feared getting booed when he was invited on stage at the Red Rock Tap + Grill on July 3 and initially declined the invitation, singer Brian Kirk told Patch.

Singer Brian Kirk told Patch that Murphy initially turned down his invitation to the stage Red Rock Tap + Grill on July 3, something the singer commonly does when he sees someone of note in the audience.

He persuaded the governor by having his band play Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You," a song he knows Murphy likes to sing to his wife Tammy.

The governor was cheered and booed after singing, according to Kirk,  who told Patch he believes the video was “enhanced.”

Kirk admonished the crowd to not boo Murphy out of respect for his "friend." He told Patch that Murphy is a fan of the band but they aren't close.

Murphy says video was skewed

Murphy was asked about the video at an event Monday and said the video was “a little skewed” in terms of the reaction, according to News 12's Alex Zdan.

"We actually got through a whole song and the place was rocking pretty good," Murphy said.

The governor agreed with Kirk that he wasn't "wild" about going up on stage and was coaxed by a "buddy."

Underplaying the boos?

SaveJersey.com creator Matt Rooney scoffed at the notion of enhancement of the video and believes Kirk helped bring on the boos.

"Seriously? Want to know what 'enhanced' the booing Brian Kirk, King of the Jirks? Your bizarre decision to lecture your own audience! On what planet did you think that would end well," Rooney writes.

Those who were at the restaurant told Rooney the video may have underplayed the boos, he claims.

Heckled at the Shore before

The shore area, one of the most Republican areas of the state, has not been kind to the Democratic governor in the past.

Murphy was heckled at a Red Bank restaurant in November 2020 about not wearing a mask while he ate outdoors with his family. The woman called the governor a "dick," prompting his son to accuse the woman of being drunk.

“You can go f–k yourself, how’s that," the woman told his son.

Several months earlier while Murphy did an interview with NBC's "Today" on the Asbury Park boardwalk, a man yelled out that he was a "dictator," "traitor" and "hypocrite." The city was sued by the state when it planned to defy Murphy's ban on indoor dining. A court ruled in the state's favor.

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