New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill can go to Garden State-hosted World Cup games for free in a taxpayer-funded chauffeur -- while her transit agency soaks fans for $150 train tickets from the city to the Meadowlands, critics said.
The Democrat gets driven around in a New Jersey State Trooper vehicle as governor and could use it if she decides to attend a game, according to sources, but detractors claim even more hypocritical is that she may have access to a suite in MetLife Stadium for the highly coveted games there.
The potential VIP treatment comes in contrast to the Garden State's begrudging stance against the thousands of tourists and fans expected to flock to the tournament that critics say could cause problems for commuters caught in the crosshairs.
"Sherrill is a 'Let Them Eat Cake' politician who gets driven around by state troopers in an SUV to make her and her friends get to the stadium unimpeded," said soccer dad and former Staten Island Republican Councilman Joe Borelli.
The New Jersey governor also has a suite in MetLife stadium provided by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to attend sporting and other events there. Sources said that during the World Cup, FIFA will oversee a suite for dignitaries and elected officials presumably including the governor.
It's unclear if Sherrill plans to attend any games or would be invited into any FIFA seating but Borelli said New Jersey is the only one of 16 locations in the US, Mexico and Canada hosting games that is causing a fuss about transportation costs.
The NJ Transit fare is typically $12.90 from Penn Station to the Meadowlands but will be hiked to $150 for round trip tickets to a maximum of 40,000 fans.
Shuttle buses are also available for $80.
Eight matches in the Meadowlands will run June 13 through July 19
One Republican lawmaker said Sherrill has turned New Jersey into a "clown show" after Garden State officials along with New York politicians jointly lobbied to host the World Club.
"This $150 fare has nothing to do with fairness. It's institutional price gouging. It's usually illegal," said state Assemblyman Brian Bergen, who represents municipalities in Morris and Passaic Counties in northern New Jersey.
"It has more to do with Mikie Sherrill running for president from New Jersey. All she has done is go after President Trump."
Sherrill also is squeezing tourists by adding a 3% sales tax surcharge on certain purchases within the 30-mile Meadowlands district and 2.5% surcharge on some hotel rooms to defray costs for hosting the Cup.
She also supports levying a 50-cent surcharge on ride-hail trips originating in New Jersey and ending in the Meadowlands.
"She's making us look like morons," Bergen said. "Everybody wanted the World Cup. One hundred percent Sherrill is hypocrite. New Jersey Democrats are hypocritical in general."
Even fellow Garden State Democrats are privately grumbling about both the astronomical $150 rail fare and a hike in the sales tax, sources told The Post.
Sherrill's office declined to comment.
But she previously defended the $150 fare to help cover the transporation costs that would otherwside be borne by NJ Transit and the state, and blamed FIFA for not contributing.
"In the FIFA World Cup agreement that my Administration inherited, FIFA put zero dollars towards transporting World Cup fans," the governor said. "It also eliminated parking at MetLife Stadium, putting the burden of transporting four times more matchday riders than typical for an event at the stadium on NJ TRANSIT.
"This agreement will cost NJ TRANSIT at least $48 million while FIFA is positioned to make $11 billion during the World Cup," she added.
"As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans. If it won't, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day."
Two other lawmakers put out a bipartisan statement siding with Sherrill.
"We should not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders at the expense of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ Transit. If FIFA would just commit to chipping in a small fraction of the huge amount of money they claim they'll make from the World Cup, then we could easily avoid forcing New Jerseyans to pick up the tab for proposed train ticket costs," said Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge), the chairman of the budget committee, and Sen. Declan O'Scanlon, the Senate Republican Budget Officer from Holmdel.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is a big soccer fan, and his administration is preparing for the World Cup, even reassigning police manpower during events tied to FIFA events.