NEW YORK--President Barack Obama's remarks this week about Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke staying longer than he was supposed to are telling for Bernanke's future at the Fed, said former Fed Governor Laurence Meyer in an interview on CNBC Tuesday.

"He essentially fired Ben Bernanke on the spot and gave him a fairly tepid testimonial afterward. It's time to really now focus on who the next chairman might be," said Meyer, who was a Fed governor from 1996 to 2002.

Later in the interview, Meyer said his remarks were a bit hyperbolic, adding "the president said he stayed longer than he wanted to and was supposed to. What does that mean? I'm just befuddled."

Write to Saumya Vaishampayan at svaishampayan@marketwatch.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 19, 2013 08:01 ET (12:01 GMT)