MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski ended "Morning Joe's" interview with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) by telling viewers to cancel their traditional Christmas plans this year due to COVID-19.
Murphy said he wants state residents to not travel for Christmas this year because of the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, despite two vaccines that are now being rolled out and administered.
"Well, governor, let me follow-up on exactly that, the idea of travel. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe New Jersey saw a surge in infections after the Thanksgiving holiday because of in part people gathering for family celebrations and people traveling in and out of state. How big is your concern about the Christmas holiday coming up, what are you telling residents in your state to do and could there be even restrictions you put into place to try to limit that travel?" AP White House reporter Jon Lemire asked.
"Listen, it’s hard to stop somebody in the United States of America from crossing from one state to another, but we clearly have a bunch of factors coming together right now which add up to a lot of concern; cold weather, holidays, fatigue, private setting transmission, lack of a national strategy," Murphy said. "Those five factors have led to — in addition to the expected second wave have led to a surge. There’s no question about it. And I think it gets worse before it gets better. And the holidays to your very good question are a big contributing factor. We want folks to stay home and stay small. That’s my message."
Murphy added that "the closer we are to home for the holidays, the smaller the celebration, as in immediate family or the bubble in which you’re living, the faster we’ll come out of this."
"All right. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, thank you very much for being on this morning. And again, yes, no traveling. Don’t gather. Not this year," Brzezinski concluded.
It remains to be seen whether politicians in New Jersey will follow their own advice this Christmas as many politicians across the country did not during Thanksgiving.