In the latter portion of Thursday night’s CNN “town hall” with President Barack Obama on gun control, host Anderson Cooper surprisingly pushed back at the President’s slam on opponents of his executive actions and policies on guns as conspiracy theorists.
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Announcing the new measures to a large audience, many of whom were relatives of victims of gun violence, Mr Obama became emotional and wiped tears from his cheeks.
“I’d like to have an opportunity to sit down, and be a part of the decision making”, said Ryan Pennock, the owner of Thunderbird Tactical Inc of Wichita, Kansas.
“I believe in the Second Amendment … no matter how many times people try to twist my words around”, the president said during his January 5 press conference. AP’s earlier story is below.
Ahead of the town hall, Obama put political candidates on notice that he would refuse to support or campaign for anyone who “does not support common-sense gun reform” – including Democrats.
The president says 90 percent of Americans support such reform and that if they join him, the USA “will elect the leadership we deserve”.
Groups that attended the town hall meeting, which was invitation only, included Gun Owners of America, American Firearms Retailers Association, Everytown for Gun Safety and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Barden said he looked forward to attending what will be Obama’s final State of the Union speech.
Obama suggested that given that his family lives in Chicago – a city that has experienced over four dozen shootings over the past week alone, according to CNN – their perspective on guns was naturally different than someone who lives in a rural area. The problem comes down to a powerful but calcified gun lobby that is out of step with its own constituents of gun owners and with the American people.
Obama sought tougher laws after the Newtown massacre, but said he was foiled by the NRA.
In fact, federally licensed gun dealers are required by law to conduct background checks for gun purchases no matter where the sale takes place – in a store, at a gun show or online.
The president’s executive actions, include plans to ramp up mental health care and add hundreds of federal agents.
“We already know that all of these gun restrictions that have failed, we can’t ignore that information, and that’s what I was trying to get at with the president, that we have to look to solve these issues”, Babeu told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day”.
NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam had said before the event that the NRA would not be participating in “a public relations spectacle orchestrated by the White House”.
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“The president doesn’t get to lecture us on loving our kids”, he said.
