The Supreme Court slapped down the ATF last week over their blatantly illegal bump stock ban. While this one revolved around guns, the truth was that it was about preventing federal agencies from deciding to redefine things on their own when a definition is already defined by law.

I mean, if the ATF could do this with bump stocks, any federal agency could basically create their own definitions anytime they want and ignore what Congress previously passed. That's a bad way to function for a country that claims to value the rule of law, representative democracy, and republican values.

Luckily, SCOTUS put the kibosh on that nonsense.

However, the folks at the Huffington Post are mad about it. What's more, they accuse Sen. Tim Scott of deflecting when asked about it simply because he said true, accurate things they don't want to hear.

The South Carolina politician turned his attention to President Joe Biden and immigration when asked about the court overturning a Trump-era ban on the gun accessory, which Scott previously said he’d help pass into law.

“What we need to focus on is the violence we’re seeing across the nation,” Scott told journalist Jonathan Karl. “Under Joe Biden, communities have been devastated and ravaged by a wave of violent crime that we haven’t seen in five decades.”

“Focusing on ways for us to reduce that crime means getting four more years of Donald Trump,” added Scott, who is said to be on the short list for the Republican vice presidential pick.

Scott got a swift fact-check from Karl, who reminded him, “Actually senator, as you probably know, the latest stats on violent crime and on the murder rate show they’re actually down this past year.”

According to a report from the FBI released last week, violent crime dropped 15% nationwide during the first quarter of 2024.

Though the senator said it was “nice to see” the numbers “plateau,” he claimed the threat of violent crime was leaving people “trapped in their houses” from sundown to sunrise.

Karl tried to return to the topic of bump stocks, asking Scott if he’d still back a bump stock ban, a move which he said would “fly through congress” in 2018. The politician again punted and said, “Well, I’m strongly in support of the 2nd Amendment.”

Scott also pointed out the issue of illegal immigration and how the Biden administration hasn't really addressed that one at all.

Of course, HuffPo accuses Scott of deflecting, but is he?

Sure, I'd prefer a more vigorous opposition to Congress passing a bump stock ban, especially considering what it looked like the last time they considered it, but he did answer that. "Well, I'm strongly in support of the Second Amendment" is an answer. It's a "no, I won't support it."

In 2018, people were shocked by the horrors of Las Vegas. Congress felt like they had to do something and banning bump stocks was what most figured was the thing to do. After all, they argued, had the killer not had such devices then he couldn't have killed so many people, so we had to do something.

People aren't as worked up today as they were six years ago. They're able to think about it more rationally, and the truth was that the bump stock ban was stupid.

First, people can bump fire without the stocks. The stocks were just designed to make it easier, but people still do it even without them. A ban on the stocks accomplishes nothing, especially if someone wants to use bump fire to murder innocent people by the score.

Second, the last bill sought to go beyond bump stocks and go after all kinds of things, arguably including aftermarket triggers with a lighter trigger pull than the factory trigger. That's right, it banned anything that would facilitate pulling the trigger faster, which leaves a lot open to interpretation. Too much, in fact.

And now that people are calmer, they can see that and so such a bill won't pass because it'll infringe on the Second Amendment. A lot more lawmakers know that now than they did in 2018.

Tim Scott is among those.

Further, let's be real here, crime is still a massive issue. It might be down according to the FBI, but until it's at least at 2019 levels, no one should remotely be thrilled about where things are. Addressing crime is important; far more important than going after law-abiding citizens who want to have bump stocks.

And yes, illegal immigrants may well be a massive part of that. No one knows who is crossing that border and just what they did on the other side of it. How many violent, dangerous people are crossing to enter the Land of Opportunity only because their criminal vocation will make them more here than down south?

Scott answered the questions.

The Huffington Post just didn't like the answers.