Chris Christie has stood behind his belief that members of the Black Lives Matter movement advocate the murder of police officers.

The Republican presidential hopeful reiterated the controversial claims during a speech in Iowa on Saturday, amid calls for him to quit the race for the White House.

According to TIME's political reporter Zeke Miller, he said that 'many' in the movement supported the slaying of cops.

The embattled politician, who is struggling in the polls, was backing up comments he made on CBS's Face the Nation last Sunday.

Chris Christie said members of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement advocate the murder of police officers during a speech in Iowa on Saturday (pictured)

Christie, who is New Jersey Governor, told host John Dickerson: 'I don't believe that that movement should be justified when they're calling for the murder of police officers.'

Dickerson insisted the activists are 'not calling for the murder of police officers'.

But Christie stood his ground.

'Sure they are,' he said. 'Sure they are. They have been chanting in the streets for the murder of police officers.'

His comments have angered the African-American community in his home state and may have lost him support.

Bishop Reginald Jackson, a prominent black leader credited with helping Christie get re-elected as governor in 2013 said he was 'disturbed' by the comments.

He told WNYC last week: 'My immediate perception was that the governor was trying to play to the base of the far-right of the Republican party.

The embattled politician (pictured in Iowa on Saturday), who is struggling in the polls and facing calls to step down from the race, was backing up comments he made on CBS's Face the Nation last Sunday

'It's really just in this campaign that I’ve seen this side of the governor.'

Last week The New York Times wrote a scathing critique of Christie calling on him to drop out of the campaign and get back to his day job.

The paper's editorial board waded in to blast Christie for neglecting his home state of New Jersey as he focuses on the 2016 race.