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At a press conference on Thursday, Republican Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey blasted the National Rifle Association for airing a commercial about President Barack Obama’s daughters.
“To talk about the president’s children or any public official’s children who have, not by their own choice, but by requirement, to have protection, and to use that somehow to try to make a political point I think is reprehensible,” he said.
The controversial ad said Obama was a “elitist hypocrite” because the Secret Service guards his daughters at school. The President recently said he was skeptical of the NRA’s proposal to stop mass shootings by placing armed guards in every school.
“You know, the President doesn’t have a choice and his children don’t have a choice of whether they’re going to be protected or not,” Christie said.
Christie said the public relations ploy made him "cringe" and that the association was demeaning itself and undermining its reputation.
Christie held the press conference to announce the creation of a task force to study ways to reduce gun violence in New Jersey. The task force, reports NJ.com, will in the next 60 days study and make recommendations in five key areas: gun control, drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, violence in society and school safety and security.
The report was critical of Christie for side-stepping questions about his opinions on a federal assault weapons ban, which seemed petty when you consider that New Jersey -- which has the second-toughest laws in the nation -- has its own ban on assault weapons and ammunition magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.