An Arizona man who carried a loaded rifle slung on his back to protest outside a Phoenix appearance by President Barack Obama says his action was motivated by his long-standing dislike for Obama, not a sermon the night before in which his pastor said he hated Obama and prayed for his death.
However, Christopher Broughton says he "absolutely" agrees with the Rev. Steven L. Anderson's sentiment expressed during an Aug. 16 sermon at Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe.
Broughton says Obama is imperiling the country and its citizens' freedoms through financial bailouts and other policies.
He carried an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and a handgun when he went to protest Obama during his Phoenix visit to address a veterans group on Aug. 17.
