Christie Says He Would Have Ignored Detractor If He Didn’t Curse

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said he wouldn’t have gotten into a shouting match on the Seaside Heights boardwalk if the man had not used profanity in front of his children.

“Sometimes in this job you have to be a father first,” Christie told reporters today in Trenton.

Christie was filmed shouting at a detractor on July 5 and the footage was posted to gossip website TMZ.com. The governor was seen in the 29-second video in a heated exchange with a person who criticized his education policies, the website said.

“You’re a real big shot -- keep shooting your mouth off,” Christie told the man. “You’re a real big shot. Keep walking away. Big shot.”