At a press conference on Thursday, Republican Gov. 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, protection and to use that somehow to try to make a political point I think is reprehensible,” he said.

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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.

“I think it’s awful to bring public figures’ children into the political debate,” he added. “They don’t deserve to be there. For any of us who are public figures, you see that kind of ad and you cringe.”

Christie held the press conference to announce the creation of a task force to study ways to reduce gun violence in New Jersey.

Watch video, uploaded to YouTube, below: