Petition To Deport Piers Morgan Receives Official White House Response (Spoiler: Morgan Isn't Going Anywhere)

The petition, started Dec. 21 by Jones, asks the government to officially deport Morgan, a British citizen, because of his views on gun control. And because the petition quickly received more than the 25,000 signatures needed for a response (at press time, the number is close to 110,000), the Obama administration, by its own rules, had to reply.

The petition to deport Piers Morgan reads, in full:

“British Citizen and CNN television host Piers Morgan is engaged in a hostile attack against the U.S. Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment. We demand that Mr. Morgan be deported immediately for his effort to undermine the Bill of Rights and for exploiting his position as a national network television host to stage attacks against the rights of American citizens.”

The White House response pointed out that the government cannot simply deport a person for their opinions.

Read the response from White House press secretary Jay Carney below.

“Thank you for participating in We the People to speak out on an issue that matters to you.

“Let’s not let arguments over the Constitution’s Second Amendment violate the spirit of its First. President Obama believes that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to bear arms. However, the Constitution not only guarantees an individual right to bear arms, but also enshrines the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press -- fundamental principles that are essential to our democracy. Americans may disagree on matters of public policy and express those disagreements vigorously, but no one should be punished by the government simply because he or she expressed a view on the Second Amendment -- or any other matter of public concern.

“We recognize that the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, sparked an intense, and at times emotional, national conversation about the steps we can take as a country to reduce gun violence. In fact, your petition is one of many on the issue, and President Obama personally responded by sharing his views on this important issue.”

This response to the petition comes only two days after Jones had a public meltdown on Morgan’s CNN program. The 38-year-old Texan began an interview with Morgan relatively calmly, but ended his time on the show red in the face, shouting, "I'm here to tell you 1776 will commence again if you try to take our firearms!"

Jones continued, "America was born on guns and whiskey. It's true we're a violent society. ... You're a foreigner. You're a Redcoat. You're telling us what to do."

Jones also went on to describe the anti-depressant drug Prozac as a “murder suicide pill.”

Watch Jones’ appearance with Piers Morgan on CNN below.