Anti-Gun Senator Cory Booker’s staffer arrested with a gun at the Capitol while the Senator pushes for extreme federal firearm registry.
At a Glance
- Senator Cory Booker’s staffer and longtime friend Kevin Batts was arrested for carrying a pistol without a license at the US Capitol
- Batts, a retired Newark Detective, has been with Booker since 2006 and serves as his driver and security detail
- The arrest happened while Booker was conducting a marathon 19+ hour speech in the Senate
- Booker is simultaneously pushing an extreme gun control plan that includes a federal gun registry requiring Americans to apply for permission every five years
- His proposed registry mirrors failed policies in other countries and would primarily burden law-abiding citizens while criminals remain exempt
Rules For Thee, Not For Me
The irony is so thick you could cut it with a knife. While Senator Cory Booker was busy grandstanding with a marathon Senate speech, his longtime staffer and security detail was getting arrested… for carrying a gun. Yes, the same Senator Booker who wants to create an unprecedented federal gun registry apparently has no problem surrounding himself with armed protection. Isn’t it fascinating how these gun-grabbing politicians always seem to have armed security while working tirelessly to strip those same rights from everyday Americans?
Kevin A. Batts, a retired Newark detective who has been with Booker since his mayoral days, was arrested for carrying a pistol without a license on Capitol grounds. The arrest happened while Booker was conducting what his supporters are calling a “filibuster” (it’s not) against the Trump administration. Batts was reportedly led around security by a Member of Congress, which raises even more questions about the special treatment these political elites apparently believe they deserve.
Booker’s Dangerous Gun Control Fantasy
Meanwhile, Senator Booker has been busy crafting one of the most extreme gun control proposals in recent memory. His plan goes far beyond the usual Democratic talking points of “universal” background checks, a ban on so-called “assault weapons,” the prohibition of standard-capacity magazines”, says Cory Booker. Booker wants to establish a federal registry of guns and gun owners, requiring Americans to apply for permission to own guns every five years and report each weapon they own. This isn’t just gun control – it’s government permission to exercise a constitutional right.
Gun registries are fundamentally dangerous and illiberal. They’ve been used by authoritarian governments worldwide as the first step toward confiscation. Look at Venezuela, where the government used its registry to disarm citizens before descending into full-blown dictatorship.
Is that really the model Booker wants America to follow? But perhaps the most telling evidence against registries is that they simply don’t work – Canada abandoned its long-gun registry after spending billions with zero measurable impact on crime.
The Constitutional Problem
What Booker and his anti-gun allies conveniently ignore is the 1968 Supreme Court case Haynes v. United States, which ruled that convicted felons cannot be punished for failing to register illegal firearms due to Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination. This creates the absurd situation where a gun registry would only affect law-abiding citizens while criminals remain exempt. So tell me again, Senator, what exactly is the point of a registry that only burdens the innocent?
With approximately half a billion privately owned firearms in America, any attempt at registration would be a logistical nightmare. Previous state-level attempts have already demonstrated this – Connecticut, New York, and California have all seen massive non-compliance with registration schemes. Americans understand their Second Amendment rights aren’t up for negotiation, regardless of what bureaucratic hoops politicians try to set up.
The Staffer Stands By His Boss
Perhaps the most telling aspect of this story is the apparent loyalty between Booker and his gun-toting staffer. Booker’s office released a carefully worded statement acknowledging Batts as “a New Jersey-based driver who often accompanies him to events,” while saying they’re “working to better understand the circumstances.” Translation: we got caught in an embarrassing situation that exposes our hypocrisy, so we need time to craft a better excuse.
“Kevin Batts has been a friend and team member since 2006 when I became [Newark] Mayor and even before. I so deeply appreciate his steadfast friendship, incredible dedication to Newark and now his service to the state”, concludes Booker.
The glaring contradiction here is impossible to ignore. Booker wants ordinary Americans to jump through endless hoops, submit to government databases, and beg for permission every five years to exercise their constitutional rights. Yet his own staff apparently feels entitled to carry firearms wherever they please – even in places explicitly prohibited by law. It’s the classic “rules for thee but not for me” attitude that permeates the political elite class that Booker represents.
The Ultimate Hypocrisy
This incident perfectly encapsulates why Americans are so deeply skeptical of politicians who push gun control while surrounding themselves with armed security. Senator Booker clearly understands the value of having armed protection – his longtime friend and staffer Batts has been providing it for nearly two decades. Yet he simultaneously wants to create massive bureaucratic barriers for everyday Americans who simply want that same level of protection for their families.
If Booker truly believes guns are the problem, perhaps he should start by disarming his own security detail before lecturing the rest of us about our constitutional rights. But don’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen. As always with these anti-gun politicians, it’s security for me, but registration, restriction, and eventual confiscation for thee.
