New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) responded to Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen’s Monday press conference by stressing that she does not need a sheriff giving her a “lecture on constitutionality.”
Breitbart News reported that Allen used his press conference to make clear that neither he nor his deputies will enforce Grisham’s ban on concealed and open carry of firearms. He described the ban as “unconstitutional.”
In video published by ABQ Raw, Allen said, “I hold my standards high and I do not, nor ever will, hedge on what is right. I take my oath seriously.”
He went on to address Grisham’s ban, saying, “The temporary ban challenges the foundations of our constitution, but most importantly, it is unconstitutional.”
Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen during a news conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Monday, September 11, 2023. (Susan Montoya Bryan/AP)
Grisham responded to Allen’s comments by saying, “I don’t need a lecture on constitutionality from Sheriff Allen: what I need is action,” KOAT noted.
She continued, “What we need is for leaders to stand up for the victims of violent crime. We need law enforcement, district attorneys, public officials, school leaders and state agencies to use every single tool at their disposal to stop this violence. Period.”
Grisham referenced numerous gun controls that have been adopted during her time in office, then added, “We’ve given you the tools, Sheriff Allen— now stop being squeamish about using them. I will not back down from doing what’s right and I will always put the safety of the people of New Mexico first.”
Breitbart News pointed out Grisham’s admission that her ban on concealed and open carry in cities like Albuquerque would not impact criminals.
In a video published by KOB4, a reporter asked Grisham, “Do you think that criminals are going to hear this message and not carry a gun in Albuquerque, on the streets, for 30 days?”
Grisham responded, “Ah….no.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010, a speaker at the 2023 Western Conservative Summit, and he holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at
