CNN, MSNBC Give Liberals Forum to Push Gun Control Myths
In the aftermath of the House of Representatives passing two Democratic-supported gun control bills that expand background check requirements to private purchases and transfers, and lengthens the allowed background check period, CNN and MSNBC have been celebrating by having liberal guests come on their shows and going along with their gun control myths without any conservative guests to counter them.
Severals shows repeated the misleading claim that about 90 percent of Americans support “universal background checks” that would include all gun purchases even though the only states that have let voters vote on the matter have never produced support near 90 percent.
Additionally, even though right-leaning crime researcher John Lott, author of The War on Guns, has disputed claims that the background check on Charleston church attacker Dylann Roof would have barred him from buying a gun if it had been completed as actually incorrect, several anchors and guests hyped the likelihood of preventing criminals from getting guns by extending the time the FBI is allowed to conduct background checks.
On Thursday afternoon’s Velshi and Ruhle show, Robyn Giffords of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence was allowed to appear as a guest and to laud the “incredible, historic” gun bills that give advocates a chance to enact new gun control at the federal level for the first time in about 25 years.
About an hour later, as Katy Tur hosted her block of MSNBC Live, she had Michael Waldman of the Brennan Center for Justice on the show to praise the Democratic success so far. As Tur took a moment to read to him a couple of arguments Republicans have made against the new proposals, she seemed befuddled at the argument that making someone wait 10 days to get a gun might prevent a woman from getting a gun to protect herself from an abusive spouse if she has reason to believe she needs a gun in a hurry.
The MSNBC host also played a clip of South Carolina Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn blaming the Dylann Roof killings on a background check period that was too short even though Lott has argued that Roof’s criminal history would not have been sufficient to bar him from purchasing a gun legally.
About an hour later, as Ali Velshi appeared again for the time block when he is normally sole anchor, he devoted six minutes to the issue, and brought aboard liberal Republican former Congressman Ryan Costello to argue in favor of the Democratic proposals.
And on the same day’s CNN Tonight, host Don Lemon spoke with gun control activist and Democratic Congresswoman Lucy McBath to give her reaction to the bills being passed.
