



Gov. Chris Christie drew the ire of educators this weekend when he said that the national teachers' unions deserve a punch in the face. Christie, who has had a long running battle with teacher's unions regarding pension and education funding since he was inaugurated in 2010, was asked Sunday by CNN reporter Jake Tapper about a comment he made regarding his detractors.

Tapper noted that during Christie's first term the governor was quoted as saying there are two ways to handle bullies. One way is to cozy up to them; another, he said, is to "punch them in the face." "At the national level, who deserves a punch in the face?" Tapper asked.

"Oh, the national teachers union," said the Republican, saying the teacher's unions have already endorsed Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton "because they're not for education of our children." "They are the single most destructive force in public education in America," he said.

In response, the New Jersey Education Association has called on Christie to resign in the wake of the comment, and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said Christie is promoting "a culture of violence."

"Chris Christie has issues—from reneging on his promise to fix pensions to his state's fiscal standing facing near junk bond status. But the biggest issue is he's a bully and has anger-management problems," Weingarten said in a statement.