Speaking in Paris — yes, in Paris — Barack Obama today said this:
“With respect to Planned Parenthood, obviously, my heart goes out to the families of those impacted,” Obama said in response to a reporter’s question. “I mean, I say this every time we’ve got one of these mass shootings; this just doesn’t happen in other countries.”
Obama says this a lot. It’s flatly untrue. Mass shootings do happen in other countries. Indeed, there have been a number of terrible mass shootings in other countries during Obama’s presidency, including two that were staged this year just a few miles from where he was speaking.
When this is pointed out, the goalposts are invariably moved. “Aha,” say the critics, “but it happens in America more often.” That is true. It does. But that’s not the claim that Obama repeatedly makes. Rather, he says simply that “this just doesn’t happen in other countries.” He should stop saying that. It’s a lie.