One day after his White House dust-up with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy is not backing down.
"He knew what he was doing," said Malloy, in an interview with NBC Connecticut on Tuesday. "He was trying to steal people's headlines and make a point."
Following a bipartisan governor's meeting Monday, Jindal came out of the White House and criticized some Democratic agenda items, including minimum wage.
"I think there are things we can do instead of waving the white flag of surrender instead of declaring this economy to be a minimum wage economy," said Jindal. "I think America can do better."
That's when a visibly agitated Malloy stepped in.
"Let's be clear that there are differences here, but you just heard what is probably the most partisan statement that we've heard all weekend," said Malloy.
The feud has gained national attention.
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Malloy appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe and Hardball Tuesday.
The fight over the minimum wage even spilled over to Twitter on Tuesday, with both men taking shots.
In an interview with NBC Connecticut, Malloy made a jab at Jindal's national aspirations.
"Oh no, no, he wasn't trying to position himself as the darling of the far right... and I'm being facetious," Malloy said sarcastically.
Malloy benefits from the national spotlight as well, as he faces a competitive re-election fight.
Central Connecticut State University Political Science Professor Jerold Duquette said that nationalizing the Connecticut governor's race only serves to benefit Malloy.
"He wants the national narrative to dominate the governor's race because it allows him to rise above the criticisms that his opponents are able to lodge against him," said Duquette.
