NEW JERSEY (WPIX) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy may be out of the office with COVID-19, but that didn’t stop him from tending to important matters on Friday.
Murphy announced via Twitter that he is changing the official feathered friend of New Jersey from the American goldfinch to a different kind of bird: the middle finger.
“It is important for State symbols to reflect New Jersey’s culture and values,” Murphy wrote in an “executive order” shared on his Twitter account. “New Jersey drivers are famous for their skills, enthusiasm, and expressive hand gestures.”
“HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!” the governor wrote at the end of the executive order.
Many New Jerseyans agreed with the sentiment.
“We see a lot of them,” the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission joked on Twitter.
“This is actually the funniest April fools joke I’ve seen. Having lived in new jersey i can relate,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Haha. This is the most nj thing I’ve seen,” a Twitter user wrote.
“A politician in touch with his people,” another Twitter user wrote.
For the record, the American goldfinch has been New Jersey’s state bird since 1935.
