On Tuesday, America President Barack Obama teared up as he announced executive actions on guns and described some of the gun violence that has killed children around the US. "Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad," Obama said as he wiped tears. "It happens on the streets of Chicago every day."
Then Fox News decided to mock him for it. "I would check that podium for, like, a raw onion," host Andrea Tantaros said. "It's not really believable."
But The Daily Show's Trevor Noah was not having it. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he said. "Shedding tears when you think of murdered children is not really believable? You know what? There is something here that's not really believable: the fact that the rest of us have to share the title of human being with you
There's a lot of history behind Obama's emotional plea on guns. The president has consistently cited his inability to pass significant gun control legislation as one of his greatest frustrations while in office. After multiple mass shootings, he has pleaded with the general public and Congress time and time again to support new restrictions on firearms — but congressional Republicans won't budge, in large part due to the powerful gun lobby and gun culture in the US.
So Obama decided to act on his own.
His executive actions include an attempt to tighten — but not close — the "gun show loophole" (which allows some gun sellers to avoid carrying out background checks) and hire more staff to conduct federal background checks, among other changes. But the actions are fairly small, limited to ensuring that existing laws are more strictly enforced instead of imposing new restrictions on firearms.
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