WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House condemned as "repugnant and cowardly" an ad by the National Rifle Association that mentions President Barack Obama's children as receiving armed Secret Service protection.

The ad comes as Obama unveils sweeping efforts to reduce gun violence that are for the most part opposed by the NRA, the nation's leading gun rights group. The ad accused Obama of hypocrisy for having the Secret Service protect his children while opposing the NRA's call for more armed guards in schools.

"Most Americans agree that a president's children should not be used as pawns in a political fight. But to go so far as to make the safety of the president's children the subject of an attack ad is repugnant and cowardly," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. (Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Paul Simao)