Political perils of executive action on gun control

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Fox News alert on some new push back from Second Amendment supporters as the White House launches a series of events that could reshape gun rights.

In this country welcome to America live everyone I'm Megyn Kelly.

A look now at the White House grounds where today vice president Joseph Biden's -- task force is meeting with gun safety advocates and shooting victims.

They're looking at ways to curb gun violence in the wake of the Connecticut elementary school shooting in December.

Tomorrow the task force will then meet with groups including the NRA.

And just moments from New York from now New York's governor may announce a tough new crackdown in this state.

All this has Second Amendment supporters increasingly worried about losing their constitutional rights.

So they have proposed a gun appreciation day to take place on January 19.

Hoping to send a message to Washington.

About where millions in this country really stand when it comes to gun rights.

-- -- is our Fox News -- -- -- politics editor and host a power play on foxnews.com.

Live and so this is unfolding as as.

The first big debate in the second term of Barack Obama obviously got some budget issues we've got some economic issues but outside of those this is the -- Chris.

And now some are already pushing back on is -- appreciation day in particular on lying.

Some -- the left suggesting and I'll just read you one of you know.

More out there tweets.

Suggesting that this is a veiled threat to the president of the united states of assassination.

By choosing MLK day as gone appreciation day and so it's come to that your thoughts.

Well so much for a adult national discussion.

All of the things that and there is some hope out there that it might be revived but what we've seen in pretty short order in less than a month.

We've seen the national discussion that was spurred by that tragedy it sandy -- elementary.

Turn back to sort of the tribal -- version of the debate over guns.

We've seen that liberals and you mentioned Governor Cuomo you mentioned Vice President Biden attorney general Eric Holder in the mix too.

Making it very plain making it very clear that they see this that gun control.

Which we haven't had.

It's serious discussion about that the country really in more than a decade.

And going back to that issue then you see the anxiety growing among people who are ardent supporters of the Second Amendment.

That they say we know what this is and we're gonna stand our ground so that means that the the outlook for what we thought we might have once had.

Which was a chance to do something quickly and do something with broad national support.

-- -- How how could they get broad national support on any legislation that cracks down on gun -- I mean the majority of this country.

Wants a robust interpretation of the Second Amendment and you know those polls.

Moved around a little bit in the wake of the Newtown Connecticut school shooting but this is a gun loving country and there's just -- no question about whether in today's day and age they can push through.

Any significant.

And gotten -- no curtail it the -- curtailment of gun rights.

We'll look -- the president wanted to get any.

Any modification to the -- in nations weapons laws.

He had a moment Joseph -- the senator from West Virginia.

And Bob Casey senator from Pennsylvania pro gun Democrats.

Said let's talk about this let's have a discussion.

If Barack Obama wanted to have it change it wouldn't have been probably sweeping large change.

But -- had some -- -- might have dealt with mental health issues might have been gun show loophole.

Might have had something to do with the size of magazines that are available for weapons but he had -- -- where he could have turned to those guys and said work up legislation.

I'll get behind it I'll help you sell it instead what the president said was we're gonna go big.

We're gonna go for a big comprehensive solution.

And what that did was send the message to pro -- Democrats and to all of the Republican Party.

The president means to crack down on guns and he's gonna use this is an opportunity to do it and it basically froze the conversation.

Movement and it also led to a huge spike in gun sales.

At that various places you know across the United States and and that's what happened last time around to where they -- did you know they passed the 2004.

Assault weapons ban and I'll -- the rest of the stores before when no effect.

And bought as many guns they could they're about to -- -- and so on and so it's sort of wound up being you know breaking even I would ask you this up.

Politically how does -- shake out because they keep talking more and more at the White House including -- -- before we went to air.

From the vice president about how this can be handled it in part.

By executive action executive action executive action and so Barack Obama wouldn't need the congress to push through whatever he's gonna do by executive action.

But you know the Second Amendment.

Happens to be an amendment to.

The US constitution.

So it's tough to mess with that via executive action.

And there are political risks to the president in doing -- thing with out the congress you know he can blame others.

And say it wasn't just me I had a bipartisan majority with me on -- Well look there are things as we have a lot of gun laws in the United States and a lot of them are not very rigorously enforce.

The ATF has turned into something of a paper tiger.

There are certainly things it can be done from an enforcement of existing -- standpoint.

That could change how things are that could tighten down -- the president does any thing if he starts issuing executive orders and doing things as it relates to firearms.

What what happened is he will further polarize the discussion.

And the likelihood of anything happening.

Grows more and more about because then congress acts on duet and all of those things.

You know that the magic moment when people were awake to the big these -- of epidemic of mass shootings that we have -- lower murder rate but we've seen this incredible spike.

In these mass shootings in recent decades so.

We had a magic moment where the national dialogue really -- taken place in the -- could have taken something incremental taken an incremental -- to deal with this they didn't do it and every day it's more unlikely that it will happen.

Well as a question about whether he's been helped at all by these you know newspapers it's happening now more more -- -- outing.

Legitimate law abiding gun permit holders and trying to shame them -- that.

It's people's backs up and doesn't really make them -- -- listen with open ears and now we're having -- got appreciation day which they say was inspired by chick filet appreciation day which is.

They were on the defense and so it's you know both sides are shoring up and that doesn't usually make for you know good bipartisanship.

Chris thanks.

-- --

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