Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken appeared to be asked to leave a popular New York beach on Friday due to closures caused by dangerous conditions from Hurricane Erin.
Photos show Blinken — who served under the Biden administration — and a friend sitting on beach chairs in the sand, chatting and looking out at the water at Georgica Beach in East Hampton.
A lifeguard and a patrol vehicle were later seen near Blinken and his friend as they packed up their belongings, including beach chairs, shoes, bags, and a towel. Blinken, wearing sunglasses and barefoot, was then spotted walking across the sand and through the parking lot with his friend.
East Hampton beaches, including Georgica Beach, were closed for several days because of hazardous conditions along the East Coast caused by Hurricane Erin, a spokesperson for East Hampton Village’s Main Beach Office told Fox News Digital in an email.
“The water was closed until last night as per Suffolk County,” the spokesperson said on Sunday.
While the beach reopened to foot traffic around midday on Friday after the tide went down, it had been closed earlier, the spokesperson added.
“The beach was closed to foot traffic all Thursday and Friday until around midday,” the spokesperson explained. “Friday we were able to open each beach to foot traffic after the tide dropped out. The storm brought strong rip currents, storm surge waves, and large debris. All our precautions were to keep patrons and staff as safe as possible!”
Coastal towns across the U.S. were preparing for the impact of Hurricane Erin last week. New York Governor Kathy Hochul advised residents to be careful and “prepare for the possibility of dangerous conditions along our beaches and coastal cities and towns.”
“New Yorkers are no strangers to hurricanes — that is why I’m urging those living in areas that may be impacted to stay safe and exercise caution until the hurricane tapers off later this week,” Governor Hochul said on Tuesday.
Blinken has faced controversy over how he spends his free time. In 2021, he was vacationing in the Hamptons just hours before Taliban insurgents retook Kabul, completing their takeover of Afghanistan 20 years after being ousted by U.S.-led forces, The Washington Post reported.
Last May, he drew criticism from conservatives for playing guitar at a bar in Kyiv while the war in Ukraine continued.
