
On his show Thursday night, The Daily Show host Jon Stewart tore into conservatives who insisted President Barack Obama was a tyrant because of his proposals to reduce gun violence.
Obama on Wednesday called on Congress to renew the assault weapons ban, restrict high-capacity magazines, and require universal background checks for gun purchases.
“OK, two things. Those measures enjoy, I believe, majority support in the latest polls,” Stewart said. “And two, when tyrants want something done, they generally don’t ask their legislative bodies if that would be OK.”
What has really riled gun advocates, however, is the 23 executive orders that Obama issued regarding gun violence.
Conservative pundits like Fox News host Sean Hannity and others have claimed the executive orders were everything from unconstitutional to “fascistic.” But Stewart noted the executive orders were all within the president’s powers, and consisted of such actions as directing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research gun violence.
“I guess folks like Hannity just really want to protect Americans’ liberties,” Stewart remarked, before playing a clip of Hannity defending Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program.
Stewart said conservatives appeared to be “confusing tyranny with the unpleasant burning sensation of losing democratic elections.”
Watch video, via Mediaite, below:
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