NM governor's 'Orwellian,' 'twisted' excuse to ignore 2nd Amendment may be political play for VP: column

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CNN's Harlow confronts New Mexico governor over gun suspension: 'Where is the right?'

CNN anchor Poppy Harlow confronted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., over her emergency order to ban people from carrying firearms in Albuquerque.

Democrat New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was criticized in a Washington Post column for her "twisted," "Orwellian logic" after she issued an emergency order to temporarily suspend gun carry rights in the Albuquerque area.

Lujan Grisham's gun carry ban has been met with vocal opposition among Republicans and Democrats over it violating the Second Amendment.

"The governor is no dummy," Henry Olsen wrote in a column headlined, "New Mexico's governor seems to think it's okay to ignore the Supreme Court." 

"She has held appointed or elected office for nearly 20 years. She couldn’t possibly be so naive to think her order would be uncontroversial even among Democrats," he added. 

NEW MEXICO GOV. GRISHAM SWIPES AT FELLOW DEMOCRAT WHO CALLED HER GUN CARRY BAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL

New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham was criticized in a Washington Post column for her "twisted," "Orwellian logic" after she issued an emergency order to temporarily suspend significant gun rights in the Albuquerque area. (Photographer: Steven St John/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Olsen gave some possible motivations behind Lujan Grisham's highly controversial gun carry suspension. 

"So what was the real intention behind her order?" the columnist wrote. "It could be that, like many ambitious politicians, she simply wants attention. She was said to have been on President Biden’s shortlist when he was deciding on his vice-presidential pick. Perhaps with Biden’s low approval ratings, she decided this is a good moment to raise her national profile. In that sense, she has succeeded wildly, even if her order loses in court."

Olsen also called out Lujan Grisham's argument that the gun carry suspension was required as a matter of public safety and health after several high-profile shootings of children. 

"This reasoning is twisted on its face. The affected right exists specifically to help people defend themselves. Yet Lujan Grisham says increased threats of bodily harm eliminates the means that residents would use to protect their safety," he wrote. "Talk about Orwellian logic."

NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR CONFRONTED OVER CONSTITUTIONALITY OF GUN RIGHTS SUSPENSION: 'WHERE IS THE RIGHT?'

Olsen suggested Lujah Grisham could be trying to supplant Kamala Harris as a VP pick by raising her own profile. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Olsen also speculated Lujan Grisham was using "her order to show her party how to use this conflict to undermine Supreme Court decisions they disagree with."

"But Lujan Grisham could be playing an even longer game than that," Olsen added. "Democrats remain furious that a conservative-dominated Supreme Court is likely to strike down progressive rulings in the coming years. That means Democratic officeholders in deep-blue states will have to enforce rulings they deeply resent or hate."

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Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.