The response to Governor Phil Murphy’s July 15th visit to Berkeley Heights was swift — and overwhelmingly critical on social media.

Many residents questioned the value of the visit, calling it an empty gesture in light of the state’s policies on affordable housing and environmental regulation.

A recurring theme in local online discussions was criticism of Trenton’s recent policy shifts. Commenters pointed to new flood rules that appear to ease building restrictions in areas susceptible to flooding while the state’s affordable housing fund was significantly reduced, from $130 million to just $5 million. This led many to question whether the state’s leadership was more aligned with developers than genuine affordable housing needs or environmental safety.

The New Jersey Monitor recently reported changes to New Jersey’s flood protection rules, made after pushback from developers and housing advocates. But according to the Monitor, the final compromise satisfied neither side — with environmentalists warning of weakened climate safeguards, and business groups still calling the rules costly and confusing.

Several commenters took issue with Murphy’s focus on climate change during his visit, suggesting that overdevelopment, not just weather patterns, was a bigger factor in the damage.

Other residents expressed frustration regarding the Governor’s choice of location for his visit, noting that more severely impacted communities like Plainfield and Scotch Plains had experienced significant devastation, including fatalities, and had received national media attention for their struggles with tornadoes and flooding. Some observed that the worst damage, including flooded streets, structural damage, and fatalities, appeared to be concentrated “down the hill” (North Plainfield, South Plainfield, and Scotch Plains), questioning why the focus was on Berkeley Heights.

To be fair, it’s possible the Governor avoided harder-hit neighborhoods so as not to interfere with emergency work. Still, the optics stung — especially for residents of “down the hill” towns who saw the visit as another example of selective visibility.

And then there was the shirt.

Across platforms — Reddit, Facebook, Nextdoor — people noticed the Governor’s wrinkled button-down; one Redditor summed up the concern:

“Jesus Phil, spend 5 seconds with an iron on that shirt.”

The wardobe decision could be connected to crisis cosmetics…or it could simply be that Murphy is not up for re-election and, much like me, he’s too old and over it to give a shit about wrinkles.

Related:

Governor Murphy Visits Berkeley Heights After Deadly Storm Hits Union County

Videos and Images of 07/14/2025 Storm Throughout Union County

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