CNN host pulls out New Mexico Constitution when governor insists she has right to suspend gun rights: 'Where is the right?'
CNN anchor Poppy Harlow whipped out the New Mexico Constitution on Tuesday to ask Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) what empowers her to suspend gun rights.
In the interview, Lujan Grisham repeatedly attacked New Mexico law enforcement for opposing her order, which temporarily suspends open and concealed carry rights in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. She claimed her critics have no solution for gun violence, suggested law enforcement is ignoring the problem, and asserted anyone who opposes her is using "NRA talking points."
"It's not for police to tell me what's constitutional or not," the tyrant-in-training screeched.
Ad hominem attacks aside, Harlow directly confronted Lujan Grisham over her assertion that she has the "right" to suspend rights endowed to New Mexicans by the U.S. Constitution and the New Mexico Constitution.
"But where is the right? Where is the right?" the CNN anchor asked.
At first, Lujan Grisham tried to dodge the question. She invoked abortion rights, the NRA, and a recent Supreme Court case, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen. But Harlow had had enough and whipped out the New Mexico Constitution.
"The New Mexico Constitution, I looked last night. Article 2, Section 6, says this: 'No law shall abridge the right of citizens to keep and bear arms for security and defense. No municipality or county shall regulate in any way any incident the right to keep and bear arms,'" Harlow explained. "Are you not in violation of both the U.S. Constitution and your state's constitution?"
Lujan Grisham said her order does not violate the constitutions she swore to uphold, describing the actual text of her state constitution as a "narrow reading," as if the words themselves are an interpretation.
Governor's move to suspend the right to carry firearms sparks major backlash www.youtube.com
After the governor attacked law enforcement once more, Harlow confronted Lujan Grisham again, this time using her own admission that her order will not stop criminals from using guns. The governor denied she is using the order to make a "statement."
Finally, Harlow posed a hypothetical: "What if a Republican governor of a state declares a health emergency and unilaterally outlaws abortion in that state, where the legislature has not done so by statute? Following your logic, would that also be sound?"
Lujan Grisham responded that suspending abortion rights would not be OK because her order is "about protecting everyone's rights" and passing pro-life laws "is about restricting some rights."
But as Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen (D) explained, Lujan Grisham's order "only punishes law-abiding citizens" because "criminals do not follow the law or a public-health order," and thus the order does not protect anyone's rights. Tragically, that came true on Saturday when yet another Albuquerque resident lost their life to gun violence.
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Dem sheriff gives New Mexico governor blunt reality check over 'unconstitutional' gun order: 'Criminals do not follow the law'
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, a Democrat, exposed the inherent problems in a controversial order limiting some New Mexicans' Second Amendment rights.
Last week, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) unilaterally suspended open and concealed carry laws for 30 days in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County under the guise of "public health." But Allen said at a press conference on Monday that he will not enforce the anti-Second Amendment order because he takes his oath of office seriously.
"The temporary ban challenges the foundations of our Constitution, but most importantly, it is unconstitutional. My oath was to protect the Constitution, and that is what I will do," Allen promised.
The sheriff then explained the inherent problem with the order — an issue Lujan Grisham herself acknowledged.
"This order will not do anything to curb gun violence other than punish law-abiding citizens from their constitutional right to self-defense," Allen said. "I have a fact for you: criminals do not follow the law or a public-health order.
"We will never see criminals follow the law," he declared. "Once again: this only punished law-abiding citizens."
Bernalillo Co. Sheriff rejects New Mexico governor's gun ban through public health order www.youtube.com
To prove his point, Allen shared a personal story about his brother, who recently became a victim of gun violence.
"Last week, as I'm sitting here as the sitting sheriff, I get a phone call that my brother also was a victim of gun violence last week that many of you do not know," he disclosed. "He and my nephew were sitting in their car when they were shot at, and their vehicle was impacted by numerous rounds. How can I, as a sheriff, tell him to put his firearms away and not be able to protect himself?"
Allen did not shy away from Albuquerque's violent crime problem. But he said Lujan Grisham's order "overshadows" existing efforts to combat those issues.
Allen, moreover, revealed that Lujan Grisham gave law enforcement officials almost no advance notice of the order before announcing it. That decision left him with "irritation and anger," he admitted.
Despite the backlash, Lujan Grisham is defending the order. Her office also promised that protesters who openly violated the order over the weekend will face consequences.
"The order is being enforced, and citations will be forthcoming from the State Police," said Caroline Sweeny, a spokesperson for the governor. "To ensure officer safety, we will not be providing additional details at this time."
Allen joins Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman (D), Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller (D), and Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina in opposing the order.
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Want to know the REAL insurrection in New Mexico? Well, here it is
The governor of New Mexico isn’t winning the hearts of conservatives any time soon. Instead, she’s committing what Stu Burguiere believes to be the “real insurrection.”
On Friday, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a “public health emergency order” that suspends the right to bear arms in Albuquerque and surrounding Bernalillo County.
The order applies to concealed or open carry of firearms on public property and lasts 30 days but can be renewed. Police officers and security guards are the only exceptions.
“You might say, ‘Wait, wait, that’s absolutely unconstitutional.’ And you’d be right,” Stu comments.
The governor cited an increase in violent crimes as her reasoning but did not acknowledge that violent crimes does not mean gun crimes.
“So, if a lot of people are being stabbed, we’re not going to ban knives, we’re going to ban guns in that community,” Stu says.
It perhaps could not be more obvious that what the governor is doing is completely unconstitutional.
“The Second Amendment is an affirmative right,” Stu says. “It says what the government cannot do to squash that affirmative right. You have a right to own a firearm and defend yourself. You have a right to do that in this country. This has been litigated for hundreds of years. She 100% knows she’s doing something unconstitutional.”
When asked during a press conference if what she was doing wasn’t clearly unconstitutional, Grisham attempted to rationalize her decision.
“With one exception, and that is if there’s an emergency, and I’ve declared an emergency for a temporary amount of time. I can invoke additional powers. No constitutional right, in my view, including my oath, is intended to be absolute,” Grisham said.
Stu doesn’t believe her for a second.
“Now to be clear, she doesn’t believe anything she just said,” he says.
“She knows this is gonna get shot down in the courts. She knows this is a BS argument, but she’s trying to make it anyway.”
Stu believes that like other liberals, she’s simply “trying to manipulate public health initiatives to justify their unconstitutional actions.”
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Gun control advocates, Dems turn on New Mexico governor over 'clearly unconstitutional' gun rights suspension
Even prominent gun control proponents are criticizing New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's seemingly unconstitutional temporary ban on firearms.
The Democratic governor ignited a firestorm of controversy last week when she unilaterally suspended open and concealed carry laws for 30 days in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. Despite admitting that she knows criminals will not abide by the order, Lujan Grisham justified it under the guise of "public health."
Typically, gun control proponents applaud efforts to regulate firearms further. But in this case, Lujan Grisham managed to upset even them.
"I support gun safety laws. However, this order from the Governor of New Mexico violates the U.S. Constitution. No state in the union can suspend the federal Constitution. There is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution," Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) responded.
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David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland high school massacre who advocates to pass gun control laws, agreed with Lieu.
"I support gun safety but there is no such thing as a state public health emergency exception to the U.S. Constitution," Hogg said.
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Not only are nationally known gun control proponents objecting to Lujan Grisham's order, but local officials oppose it and local law enforcement said they won't enforce it. That includes Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, and Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina. Bregman and Keller are Democrats.
"As an officer of the court, I cannot and will not enforce something that is clearly unconstitutional," Bregman said. "This office will continue to focus on criminals of any age that use guns in the commission of a crime."
Gun rights advocates gathered in Old Town Albuquerque on Sunday and openly defied Lujan Grisham's order. No one was arrested, and it appeared her order was not enforced. The National Association for Gun Rights has also filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the order. The governor said she is prepared to defend it in court.
Meanwhile, state lawmakers are threatening to initiate impeachment proceedings against Lujan Grisham, explaining that their oath to defend the Constitution demands they act to stop a governor who is "subverting the state and federal constitutions and laws of our state."
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