New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has caught the attention of animal welfare group PETA after killing a wayward spider in front of a group of school children over the weekend. (Photo : YouTube Screenshot)

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has caught the attention of animal welfare group PETA after killing a wayward spider in front of a group of school children over the weekend.

The incident occurred when the governor was meeting with his daughter's fourth grade class and in what appears to be his office. Governor Christie smashed the spider with his hand and wiped up with the back of his desk chair and the inside of his pants pocket.

"That's also one of the fun parts of being governor, he said to the school group, according to a video posted on YouTube by the governor's office. "Any bugs on your desk you're allowed to kill them and not get in trouble."

According to Talking Points Memo, PETA president Ingrid Newkirk described the governor's actions as thoughtless.

"He probably did it without thinking. Some people put the spider outside, but spiders are often scary to people, and that can prevent them from pondering their worth," Newkirk said.

Governor Christie posed about the incident on Twitter, saying "Earlier today I saved a few school children from a spider #nobigdeal #toughdayattheoffice."

In 2009 PETA took a similar stance against President Barack Obama after he swatted a fly during a televised interview.