CNN Invites Right-Wing Anti-Immigrant Sheriff Paul Babeu To Question Obama At Town Hall On Guns

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

During a January 7 town hall meeting on gun safety measures, CNN invited right-wing sheriff Paul Babeu to pose a question to President Obama on his recent executive actions on guns. Babeu, a well-known anti-immigrant xenophobe whose past campaigns for political office have been propped up by conservative media, has baselessly attacked Obama in the past over his immigration enforcement record and has previously appeared on 9/11 conspiracy and white nationalist shows. Fox News has consistently provided Babeu with a platform to attack Obama. From the January 7 edition of CNN's Guns in America: Obama Town Hall:

SHERIFF PAUL BABEU: Mr. President, you've said you've been thwarted by, frustrated by Congress. As a sheriff, I often times get frustrated, but I don't make the laws and I've sworn an oath to enforce the law to uphold the Constitution. Same oath you've taken. And the talk, and why we're here is all these mass shootings, and yet you've said in your executive action it wouldn't have solved even one of these --

BARACK OBAMA: No, I didn't say that.

BABEU: Well --

OBAMA: I didn't say that it wouldn't solve one.  

BABEU: What would it have solved? Now, knowing --

ANDERSON COOPER (HOST): None of the recent mass shootings, I should point out, none of the guns were purchased from an unlicensed dealer.

BABEU: Correct. And that's what I'm speaking to the executive action that you mentioned earlier. Aspirin, toys,or cars. They're not written about in the Constitution. I want to know and I think all of us really want to get to the solution and you said don't talk past each other. What would you have done to prevent these mass shootings and the terrorist attack, and how do we get those with mental illness and criminals, that's the real problem here, how are we going to get them to follow the laws?