No one is going to watch CNN for more than five minutes and get the idea that they’re a right-wing network. Granted, no one is going to watch CNN for more than five minutes at all, but still…
Yet if they had been watching recently, they might have seen something interesting.
See, when New Mexico’s Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham decided to unilaterally create a directive that banned the right to bear arms in Albuquerque, she likely thought she’d actually done something that at least some would celebrate.
Instead, though, she’s gotten some interesting pushback. We already talked about some of it.
Yet when she was booked to go on CNN, she may have figured she’d be stepping into a friendly environment. She figured it wrong.
CNN This Morning anchor Poppy Harlow took New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) to task on Tuesday over her recent 30-day order curbing the right to carry open or concealed firearms in public in and around Albuquerque, a city plagued by persistent gun violence.
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As the conversation continued, Harlow pressed on the point, “But we also have, Governor, the Constitution of New Mexico and the Constitution of the United States. And you’re an attorney. Do you think you’re on solid constitutional ground here?”
“Well, we’re going to see. I mean, look, I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think I had the right. I have the right,” Grisham shot back.
But where is the right? Where is the right?” Harlow insisted.
“In the State of New Mexico, public — it’s a suspension. It’s not a ban. And we’ll see what all of these court actions do,” replied the governor.
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“And they say, unless you can base it in the history and tradition, you don’t have grounds to do something like this. 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 continued.
“Are you not in violation of both the U.S. Constitution and your state’s constitution?” Harlow asked.
Now, there’s more there, but I’m not going to get into literally all of everything Grisham said right here and now.
What’s interesting here is that even CNN’s Poppy Harlow, who has never shown an inkling of being pro-gun, is pushing back at this because, frankly, Grisham is off her rocker with this.
She maintains she actually does have the authority to do this, but she can’t actually articulate where she derives the authority to ban people from carrying a firearm completely and unilaterally.
Yeah, I know Grisham says it’s a “suspension” and not a ban, but all that means is that the ban is ostensibly temporary. However, since she’s acknowledged the possibility of this “suspension” being extended, that means a thing.
If I’m prohibited by law from doing something, it’s effectively a ban. I’m not interested in quibbling about details. The results are the same and Grisham knows it.
Further, let’s remember that during the COVID-19 lockdowns, we saw the courts overturn restrictions that kept gun stores closed. That was during a federally declared public health crisis, yet even then the Second Amendment couldn’t be suspended in any way.
So I fail to see how a governor can declare a public health emergency in her state–when it’s not a public health issue, but that’s going to be debated by people like Grisham–and then decide to “suspend” a constitutional right.
Now, about this being CNN pushing back…
Look, it’s CNN. Absent any other information, I’m chalking this up to “blind squirrels occasionally finding nuts.” The laws of probability alone mean that eventually, they’ll get something right and this is that something.
Then there’s the possibility that a lot of anti-gunners are upset because Grisham did what they’d like to do, but she did it too soon.
That’s speculation, though, and while I won’t say it’s wrong, I can’t provide any evidence it’s right, either.
Regardless, Grisham is on an island of her own making. Her own party isn’t thrilled with her, with gun control champions aplenty not just refusing to side with her but actively disagreeing with what she did. I think it’s pretty clear that her political career is over.
