President Joe Biden declared Thursday that “no amendment is absolute” while unveiling a series of executive actions targeting American citizens’ Second Amendment rights.
“Today, we’re taking steps to confront not just the gun crisis, but what is actually a public health crisis,” Biden announced in a speech at the White House’s Rose Garden, claiming: “Nothing, nothing I am about to recommend in any way impinges on the Second Amendment.”
“No amendment, no amendment to the Constitution is absolute,” the president continued. “You can’t yell ‘fire’ in a crowded movie theater — recall a freedom of speech. From the very beginning, you couldn’t own any weapon you wanted to own. From the very beginning that the Second Amendment existed, certain people weren’t allowed to have weapons.”
Joe Biden should be ashamed. pic.twitter.com/IhMVbrGRDe
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) April 8, 2021
Biden then called it “bizarre” to criticize his executive actions as “contrary to the Constitution.”
As part of his orders, Biden directed the Department of Justice to write laws requiring background checks for homemade “ghost guns.” The president also requested the DOJ develop a model for “red flag” laws for states as a guideline. Additionally, he announced the nomination of gun control advocate David Chipman to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). However, in announcing his pick, Biden referred to the federal agency as the “AFT” — twice.
President @JoeBiden: “Today I’m proud to nominate David Chipman to serve as the director of the AFT [sic]. David knows the AFT [sic] well.” pic.twitter.com/qgjPtFZd9S
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) April 8, 2021
“Gun violence in this country is an epidemic,” Biden said in his remarks, calling the situation “an international embarrassment.”
“The job of any president is to protect the American people, whether Congress acts or not,” the president added. “I’m going to use all the resources at my disposal to keep the American people safe from gun violence. But there’s much more that Congress can do to help that effort.”
Biden’s orders swiftly prompted West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) to threaten to sue the Biden administration.
“Defending the Second Amendment remains one of the most important priorities for the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office. I will not allow the far left to run roughshod over our citizens’ gun rights. If President Biden follows through on his proposals, we will be in court very quickly,” Morrisey said in a statement. “Gun violence and the senseless death attributed to it should pain all Americans, however, the evil acts of a select few should never be a catalyst for stripping the lawful masses of their constitutional rights, especially their right to self-defense and to bear arms.”
It’s likely other Republican attorney generals will follow through with their own warnings to the Biden administration. Last month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) pledged to protect Texans’ Second Amendment rights after Biden reaffirmed his call on Congress to pass legislation aimed at banning “assault weapons” in the wake of the deadly Boulder, Colorado, grocery store shooting.
“Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa murdered 10 people in Boulder, CO. Biden immediately called for a ban on ‘assault weapons.’ Dems enthusiastically agree. Let me be clear: As long as I’m AG, the left will *never* be allowed infringe on Texans’ 2A rights,” Paxton tweeted at the time.
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