Democrat Governor’s 2nd Amendment Suspension Ignored by Media’s Democracy Defenders.

The Media’s​ Double‌ Standard on Constitutional Rights

The mainstream⁢ media ⁢have been sounding the alarm for years about the supposed GOP threats to the Constitution, from voter ID ⁣laws to migrant busing.

So how have‌ the media reacted to Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham ⁢of New Mexico unilaterally ​ suspending the Second⁣ Amendment right to carry firearms? Well, the Constitution hasn’t come up much.

Now:

News outlets have ⁣highlighted Lujan Grisham’s claims that her executive ⁢order—which banned⁣ carry of ‍firearms in and around Albuquerque for 30 days—was a necessary response to gun violence.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan‍ Grisham (D) said the state is temporarily ​suspending ​open and concealed carry of ⁤firearms in Albuquerque and the surrounding‌ county for 30 days, describing ⁢the unusual move ​as a necessary⁤ response to gun violence there. https://t.co/8ubzWpaWh9

—⁢ The Washington Post ​(@washingtonpost) September 10, 2023

There has also​ been plenty of coverage‌ of⁣ the‍ backlash,‌ including the Democratic state attorney ⁣general’s refusal ⁣ to enforce the ban.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is facing⁤ harsh criticism from both sides of the aisle over her recently issued order ⁢temporarily suspending‌ certain gun rights in Albuquerque and its surrounding ⁣county. https://t.co/Df22vDZW2b

—⁤ NBC News (@NBCNews) September 12,‍ 2023

CNN anchor Poppy Harlow on Tuesday⁣ was one of the‌ few mainstream journalists to ​question the⁣ order’s constitutionality, albeit gently and nonspecifically.

“We also have, Governor, the Constitution … and you’re an attorney. Do you think you’re on solid constitutional ground?”

New Mexico Gov. ​Michelle⁣ Lujan Grisham: “I have the right”

“But where is the right?”

Lujan Grisham: “We’ll see what ⁣all of these court actions do”⁣ pic.twitter.com/Rb3MeBZcVH

— RNC Research‍ (@RNCResearch) September 12, 2023

Then:

Notably ⁢absent have been ⁣the fact checks, analyses,⁢ op-eds, and primetime grandstanding about the Constitution ​that the media have regularly directed at Republicans since at least Donald Trump’s presidency.

A list of‌ statements by ⁤Donald Trump that are at odds with the U.S. Constitution https://t.co/3Seik5xCZa

— ​The New York Times (@nytimes) ​ December 2, ‌2016

Analysis: ​The GOP has long called itself the ‘party of the Constitution.” But recent events don’t exactly ​show fealty to ⁢it. ⁤ https://t.co/d3basBHzTI

— The Washington‍ Post (@washingtonpost) February 25,​ 2021

Republican ⁣Governors Shipping Migrants Around the Country Is a Disturbing Attack on the Constitutionhttps://t.co/4D6VfFfDFo

—‌ TIME Ideas (@TIMEIdeas) ​ September 23, ‌2022

News⁤ outlets like CNN are covering the assault on democracy every day. But I keep‌ hearing from journalists in OTHER newsrooms who ⁤don’t feel like they can raise the alarms. They see what’s unfolding, but they feel constrained by managers, by norms, by audience ⁤pressures… pic.twitter.com/6WvLoJ1oBo

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 2, 2021

Unlike with, ⁤say, Republican governors busing migrants to other states, the constitutional case against Lujan Grisham’s ban on carrying firearms is straightforward. New Mexico’s Bill of Rights ‍ states, “No law⁤ shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and bear arms…,” and the U.S. ​Supreme Court ruled just last year that Americans have a broad Second Amendment right to carry a firearm in⁢ public.

Even‍ the most unlikely defenders of the Second Amendment ‍have acknowledged that Lujan Grisham went too far.

BREAKING: We are concerned that the ‍governor’s recent use of emergency powers could lead to overzealous policing and senseless incarceration.

See our full statement: https://t.co/TBlNiW528c

— ACLU of New Mexico (@ACLUNM) September 11,​ 2023

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. https://t.co/kOhLMtaOl2

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) September 9, 2023

I support ‍gun safety but there is no such thing as a‍ state ‍public health emergency exception ​to the U.S. Constitution. https://t.co/6GfbOZLc7g

— David Hogg 🟧 (@davidhogg111) September 9, 2023

Meanwhile, the ‌media haven’t even been able to muster a defense of the ⁣First Amendment in the face of attacks ⁣by a Democratic⁣ White House.

You’re​ still ​going with “the ⁣government’s⁣ ability to combat false and misleading narratives” as your frame for ⁤this? ‍ https://t.co/qChuybKw1Q

—​ Jesse Walker (@notjessewalker) September 9, 2023