Just moments into a speech announcing his new executive order on gun control, President Barack Obama began to tear up. With a steeled expression, his eyes welled as he named the mass shootings that occurred during his presidency, one by one:

“Fort Hood. Binghamton. Aurora. Oak Creek. Newtown. The Navy Yard. Santa Barbara. Charleston. San Bernardino—too many.”

Speaking in front of family members and victims who have been affected by gun violence—including former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords who survived an assassination attempt in 2011—Obama admonished Congress for failing to enact legislation that would better-regulate gun sales.

“Instead of thinking about how to solve the problem, this has become one of our most polarized partisan debates,” he says, “Despite the fact that there is a general consensus in America about what needs to be done.”

According to a poll conducted by Pew Research 85 percent of Americans—on both sides of the aisle—support laws that would require background checks from personal sellers or gun shows. Still, legislation tightening restrictions on gun purchases has been repeatedly struck down by Republican lawmakers.

That is why, with one year remaining in his presidency, Obama decided to take matters into his own hands.

“Until we have a Congress that’s in line with the majority of Americans, there are actions within my legal authority that we can take to help reduce gun violence and save more lives,” Obama said. “Actions that protect our rights and our kids.”

“Our unalienable right to life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—those rights were stripped from college students in Blacksburg and Santa Barbara, and from high schoolers at Columbine, and from first-graders in Newtown.” President Barack Obama

Under his new order, background checks will be required during all sales, including those occurring over the Internet. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) will also close loopholes on weapons sales conducted through corporations or trusts, there will be greater focus on services for the mentally ill, and increased research and development of gun safety technology.

RELATED: What Do Obama’s Proposed Gun Restrictions Target?

Quoting Ronald Reagan, John McCain, and George W. Bush, and citing his background in constitutional law, Obama emphasized his intentions to include “good people on both sides of this issue” to preserve Americans’ second amendment rights—while ensuring everything possible is done to protect the most fundamental human rights:

“Our right to peaceful assembly—that right was robbed from moviegoers in Aurora and Lafayette. Our unalienable right to life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—those rights were stripped from college students in Blacksburg and Santa Barbara, and from high schoolers at Columbine, and from first-graders in Newtown,” the president declared, with tears streaming down his face.

“First-graders. And from every family who never imagined that their loved one would be taken from our lives by a bullet from a gun,” he said solemnly, adding, “Every time I think about those kids it gets me mad. And by the way, it happens on the streets of Chicago every day.”

Despite the president’s call for collaboration across party lines, partisan responses surfaced before the speech had even concluded.

House Speaker Paul Ryan released a statement vehemently accusing Obama of threatening the Second Amendment:

“We will conduct vigilant oversight. His executive order will no doubt be challenged in the courts. Ultimately, everything the president has done can be overturned by a Republican president, which is another reason we must win in November.”

Republican presidential candidates also weighed in against the new Order.

The President's actions have everything to do with advancing his political agenda & little to do with actually protecting American citizens. — Dr. Ben Carson (@RealBenCarson) January 5, 2016

Mike Huckabee called the announcement a “blatant, belligerent abuse of power,” saying Americans don’t believe in dictatorships or kings:

“I will never apologize for my firearms, my ammunition or my concealed carry license. I will never apologize for defending your right to have the same. I will never apologize for protecting myself, my family or my friends. I will never apologize for supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. And I will never bow down and surrender to Obama’s unconstitutional, radical, anti-gun agenda. Washington is out-of-control, and it’s time for a president that puts Americans first.”

Speaking on Saturday before the official announcement, front-runner Donald Trump said he would overturn the order if he is elected president:

“You know, the system’s supposed to be you get the Democrats, you get the Republicans, and you make deals. He can’t do that. He can’t do that. So he’s going to sign another executive order having to do with the Second Amendment, having to do with guns. I will veto. I will unsign that so fast.”

Ted Cruz, who apparently likes to cook bacon with his machine gun, used Obama’s announcement as a fundraising opportunity.

The Democratic candidates, meanwhile, voiced support for Obama’s actions.

Thank you, @POTUS, for taking a crucial step forward on gun violence. Our next president has to build on that progress—not rip it away. -H — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 5, 2016

In a press release, Bernie Sanders accused Republican lawmakers of being “more loyal to gun lobbyists than our children” and said he would continue Obama’s work:

“A vast majority of the American people, including responsible gun owners who are sickened by the deaths of so many innocent people, agree with the common sense reforms announced today. As president, I will continue these executive orders because it’s past time to end the moral outrage of Aurora, and Newtown and Charleston.”

Reddit discussions about the announcement came from a wide variety of perspectives, in news and politics threads and in both anti-gun and pro-gun communities.