Obama debated a bunch of people opposed to his new gun actions, and it was fascinating

President Barack Obama engaged in a spirited an enlightening debate on gun control Thursday night, often with members of a CNN audience who disagreed with his views on the issue.

Obama verbally tussled with opponents of his executive action on guns earlier this week during a town-hall event moderated by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. 

He received questions from the widow of a former US Navy SEAL who was shot dead at a shooting range, a rape survivor, and a Republican sheriff from Arizona running for a seat in Congress.

Taya Kyle was the first member of the audience to ask Obama a question. Kyle is the widow of Chris Kyle, the former Navy SEAL whose life as the "most lethal sniper" in US history was detailed in the film, "American Sniper." Chris Kyle was killed when he was shot at a shooting range by a former US Marine.

Tara Kyle questioned whether Obama's actions would prevent the occurrence of shooting deaths in the US. She asked why he didn't choose to provide "hope" to the American people in a different way - for example, noting that the rate of violent crime in the US has dipped to its lowest level in more than three decades.

Watch a clip from the town hall, Tara Kyle's exchange with Obama, below:

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