White House Pushes Back on 'Ferguson Effect' Comments By Top Officials

— -- The White House is pushing back on comments made by top law enforcement officials who are citing the so-called “Ferguson Effect” to imply police officers are shirking their duties, leading to a nationwide spike in violent crime.

Press Secretary Josh Earnest showed frustration when he was informed that DEA Chief Chuck Rosenberg had agreed with comments by FBI Director James Comey in validating the "Ferguson Effect" -- police "trepidation" in the wake of the Ferguson shooting -- while Rosenberg was speaking with reporters Tuesday.

“I haven’t heard him say that,” Earnest said. “Mr. Rosenberg, as you pointed out, is the second Administration official to make that kind of claim without any evidence.

"The fact is the evidence does not support the claim that somehow our law enforcement officers across the country are shirking their duties and failing to fulfill their responsibility to serve and protect the communities in which they are assigned.”

Rosenberg said Tuesday he’s been told by police chiefs across the country that -- with cops now under intense scrutiny and videos of their interactions often posted online -- officers are concerned “rightly or wrongly that [they] become the next viral video.”

"I guess you'd have to ask him what point he's trying to make," Earnest said. "You might also ask him if there's any evidence to substantiate the claim that he's made."

Rosenberg was echoing comments made last week by Comey, who told a gathering of international police chiefs in Chicago that “some part of what’s going on is likely a chill wind that's blown through law enforcement over the last year."

Earnest acknowledged that both Comey and Rosenberg were appointed directly by President Obama, but said they are “independent law enforcement officers and so that changes their relationship.”

When asked if the President still had confidence in both Comey and Rosenberg, Earnest said “absolutely.”

ABC News' Mike Levine and Audrey Taylor contributed to this report.