There's something very wrong with CNN.
It's bad enough that they jumped on the anti-gun narrative following the latest attempt on President Donald Trump's life, but days later, they've clearly had time to reflect and course correct.
I mean, the guy got all of his guns in California, the most gun-controlled state in the nation. His loadout was laughable, in a lot of ways, but it was more than enough to kill a whole lot of people, and we all know it, and all despite the laws in the Golden State, which did nothing to restrict this guy because, besides being a leftist nutbar, there was nothing in his background to prevent him from getting a gun.
But rather than acknowledge that, CNN decided to double down on it.
Forty-five years before a gunman attempted to storm the Washington Hilton’s ballroom during President Donald Trump’s appearance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, another would-be assassin stood on the sidewalk and shot President Ronald Reagan in the chest as he exited the same hotel.
The location, and the presence of a Republican president, is likely to be where the comparison ends.
In 1981, gunman John Hinckley Jr. also shot White House press secretary James Brady, leaving him partially paralyzed. Brady would go on to become a leading gun control advocate — and the namesake of 1993’s Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which introduced mandatory background checks and waiting periods for handgun purchases. It was backed by Reagan, who publicly supported the measure in a 1991 speech despite being a lifelong National Rifle Association member.
Today, the gun control debate is likely to remain in neutral, even after a shooting near the ballroom where Trump, Vice President JD Vance and many of the nation’s top leaders were dining with the Washington press corps. The GOP remains entrenched, younger generations who have fought unsuccessfully for new restrictions for years are frustrated and the solution generating the most discussion is a more secure ballroom for the nation’s elite.
I hate to break it to CNN, but the ballroom would have been a more secure location. This nut job wouldn't have been able to rent a room and have access to the building if the ballroom were finished--and with it being paid for via private donations, it just makes good financial sense, too. It's not like the Lincoln Bedroom is listed on Airbnb.
His own manifesto, at the end, mocks the Secret Service's security protocols. Granted, they were still good enough to have him eating carpet before he ever got a view of Trump or anyone else inside the room, but still, security has to be a concern going forward.
But why should gun control get so much attention from CNN? Again, the alleged assassin managed to get guns in the most gun-controlled state in the country. What federal regulation would actually get passed that would be stricter than what they've got in California? Hell, I'd argue that none of that state's laws are constitutional in the least, so how would they make it at the federal level?
In a statement addressing CNN's anti-gun push in the immediate aftermath of the incident, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Chairman Alan Gottlieb had some thoughts then regarding Brian Stelter's so-called analysis.
“We find it disgusting and abysmally lazy for any journalist, even at CNN, to engage in gun control poppycock at this point,” Gottlieb stated. “While other news organizations were digging into the suspect’s background to learn how, and from where, he obtained the guns he was carrying—which he brought clear across country, apparently by train—Stelter went off on guns, and he clearly misfired.
“Tens of millions of gun owners—people whose rights too many in the media seem to disdain—didn’t hurt anyone Saturday night,” Gottlieb said. “We watched in shock with everyone else, as a California teacher, obviously overwhelmed by fanatical anti-Trump demagoguery, attempt to kill people. He will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but what about those who continue to spread their invective, hoping some harm comes to the president?
“Instead of demanding more gun control,” he suggested, “maybe it’s time for them to control their mouths.”
Now, they're simply lamenting the lack of a push for gun control.
Considering that many on the left are just upset the guy was unsuccessful, and most on the right recognize that gun control wouldn't have stopped this from happening, I'm not overly surprised we're not seeing a push.
But for CNN to strangely fixate on this is disturbing, especially as the network has tried to fend off accusations of bias for years.
The truth is that I expect this from MSNow, formerly MSNBC, but I also expect it from CNN, because the only difference between the two networks is that MSNow is at least more open about what point of view they really support.
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