Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Obama praises Aussie gun laws

US President Barack Obama has welcomed social media site Tumblr to the White House for a live chat and named Australia as a good example of gun control.

US President Barack Obama
US President Barack Obama (AAP)

 

President Barack Obama has used a live Q and A session on Tumblr to highlight Australia's gun laws following the latest mass shooting in the US.

The blogging site rolled into the White House on Wednesday with the president fielding questions from students in a session hosted by Tumblr founder and CEO David Karp.

During the chat Obama revealed that being unable to implement basic gun control reforms was the greatest frustration of his presidency.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"We're the only developed country where this happens. And it happens weekly," he said.

"Our levels of gun violence are off the charts."

Obama said Australia hadn't had a single mass shooting after the crackdown on gun violence in the wake of 1996's Port Arthur shootings.

The US had a lot of "soul-searching" to do on the issue, he added.

His comments came hours after a gunman shot and killed a student at an Oregon High School.

That incident followed shootings in Seattle last week and Eliot Rodger's rampage in California last month, which left six dead.

Obama also answered a range of questions about college affordability and reducing student loan debt.

But in lighter moments, the 44th US President also offered some personal insights into his plans after leaving the White House.

"I'll be on a beach somewhere, drinking out of a coconut," he said.

The White House has previously held similar social media events, with the president answering questions on Reddit and Twitter.

Karp and Obama kicked off the session with a fist-bumping selfie.

potus_david_karp_gif.gif

2 min read

Published

Updated


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world