While guns are one of those issues that isn’t completely cut-and-dried along partisan lines, we do know that most hardline leftists tend to support gun control. One of those leftists is the supposedly moderate Joe Biden, of course. He’s made his opinions on guns quite clear over the years but has reaffirmed his support for stripping our constitutionally-protected rights during his presidential campaign.

He’s far from alone, though.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth recently spouted her own anti-gun rhetoric. She was promptly smacked down.

In a clip played by host Julie Banderas, Duckworth said that if President Trump wants to end the violence, he should pressure Senate Republicans to “close the gun show loophole” and enact “universal background checks.”

“Her evidence of the gun show loopholes having created this wave of violence in these Democratic-controlled cities is what?” Conway asked rhetorically. “I know she’s auditioning for vice president for [presumptive Democratic nominee] Joe Biden, she’s got stiff competition, so she’s going to say things to mollify the hard left.

“Let’s be honest about what’s happening … ” Conway went on, turning to protest violence in cities like Portland, Ore. “They are pointing lasers in cops’ eyes, in some cases temporarily or permanently damaging their eyesight, throwing rocks and bricks and worse. Some aren’t even using guns.

“The violence is leading to vandalism and gun shooting and the rest of it,” she added, “but some of these cities have the strictest gun control laws in the country, and this is what is happening.”

Conway isn’t wrong. Not at all.

First, we know that criminals obtain their guns through criminal means. While some might use face-to-face transfers so they can bypass the NICS check, universal background checks aren’t going to stop them. For one, these private sales are just a fraction of gun sales in total, much less sales resulting in an armed criminal.

For another, most criminals purchase firearms on the black market, not from law-abiding citizens who don’t realize their buyer is a criminal.

Universal background checks aren’t going to do anything.

Another important point supporting Conway’s assertion is the fact that violent crime is skyrocketing all over the nation, but there has been no liberalization of gun laws. We also know that despite media claims to the contrary, there’s not some massive surge of criminals trying to take advantage of a bogged down NICS.

Yet the violence has been an issue…after the riots that plagued this country.

The truth of the matter is that lawlessness begets lawlessness. The riots and media attacks on the police have emboldened a number of criminals and violence is surging. That’s at least part of the issue, though I’ll admit that violent crime is far too complex an issue to have a single cause.

What we do know, though, is that criminals aren’t buying guns lawfully and, as such, there’s no reason to believe that the increase in violent crime has anything to do with guns. People like Duckworth, though, don’t care about that.

Conway suggested that Duckworth’s comments come in a bid to raise her profile a bit in an effort to be selected as Joe Biden’s vice-presidential nomination. That’s another fact I think she’s right about.

While Joe Biden might love that kind of talk, the truth is that blaming guns isn’t going to solve a damn thing.