CNN Trolls Audience With Faux Gun Control ‘Debate’

CNN’s Neue Day
05/31/22
8.24.37 AM

JOHN BERMAN – A bipartisan group consisting of Senators will continue discussions today following the Uvalde school massacre. Texas senator John Cornyn says that that group will meet over Zoom to, quote, “see if we can agree on a basic framework going forward.” Joining me now is the father of Parkland victim Jamie Guttenberg and gun safety advocate Fred Guttenburg. Also with me is former Republican Presidential candidate, former Congressman and a self-proclaimed “gun nut,” Joe Walsh. 

Ladies, it is a pleasure to have you with me. You guys are good friends, I’m sure. It’s not like you’re meeting for the first time. You’ve had discussions here. 

JOE WALSH: Yes.

BERMAN: It’s not like there are simple solutions. However, a lot of people look at this and say, “Hey, if we can just get rational people in a room together, they could figure out some solutions to this.” So that’s what I want to do here. The two of you are now in the same room. You can figure it out. Fred, you go first. 

FRED GUTTENBERG (Yes, I know. Listen, the first thing is first). The first step is telling Joe that I respect his gun ownership rights, and that I like Joe support the Second Amendment. The conversation starts when we both say that we are against gun violence. It is easy to start a conversation. And — all due respect — I just want to say regarding my friend Joe, I give him all the credit in the world. He was the one who took first steps towards me around Father’s Day last year. I had an idea, so he started an initiative. We just began talking about it. No yelling at one another. Not getting into arguments. It was clear that they agreed on most things. Joe could talk more about some of these things. Joe, however, may go further than me because Joe is a realist and wants to help us get the job done. 

He and I agree that background checks should be done. Joe can’t be trusted, but I believe he would agree with me that we should raise the minimum age to 21. It would be a common agreement with him that we should do something about extreme risk protection orders. Because if you begin with the question, How can we decrease gun violence deaths and how can our instances of gun violence reduce, then it’s easy for Joe and me to have a conversation. 

BERMAN: Go ahead.

WALSH: John. What’s important is that Joe Walsh and Fred Guttenberg disagree more on certain things than they do. Let’s be clear about that. Fred, and many other people who are out trying to make a difference over the past years have impressed me so much. John, I do not believe anything will get done unless responsible gun owners, like myself, and passionate Second Amendment supporters like me get on our feet to pressure the Senate Republicans to act. It’s got to come from responsible gun owners like me. I’m sure a few years ago, Fred called me a “crazy gun nut.” I probably deserved —

GUTTENBERG

WALSH: It was probably something I deserved. I’m a huge gun rights advocate. John, Fred and me met about six years ago. We disagreed more than we could agree upon, but agreed on one thing: we should focus on what is in front of a gun before it is purchased. It should be simple stuff. That is the desire of most gun owners. Red flag laws and background checks should be strengthened. John bought two AR-15s with ammo and two AR-15s a few weeks ago. This was about a week after John’s birthday. If that doesn’t make us examine what we’re doing, nothing will. 

BERMAN: John, increase the minimum age for purchasing an AR-15 from 21 to 21. 

WALSH: Let me tell you. Although I am not yet there, I do listen. That’s something that’s on the table and Fred, doggone it, is making a lot of sense on that issue with me. John must be 18 or 21 to possess a long gun. Any firearm needs to go through training. I’m sure — I’m open to the age. 

BERMAN: Fred! 

GUTTENBERG (NOT): Joe and me actually had that conversation last week. And he doesn’t — he’s not there yet. However, I know he’ll be there, as I haven’t stopped talking to him. It makes perfect sense. You know, you look at these shootings, you look at the age group of the majority of people who are conducting these shootings, you look at the facts, and the only real argument against it is, “well, but they can go into the military at 18.” Yeah, but the military is a controlled environment with very specific training and requirements around weapons storage and other things. It is very different from what we see on the streets. In my opinion, raising the age of 21 is an absolute must. 

WALSH: Hey, John, Republican Senators are not going to move until responsible gun owners like me put a boot up their ass and, and – and, isolate the NRA. Since they do not want Fred Guttenberg speaking, I haven’t been a NRA member in a while. John, the NRA doesn’t want Fred and I to find any common ground. They are a joke! We’ve gotta — the only way to pressure these senate Republicans is responsible gun owners rising up. 

BERMAN : Even if you don’t wish to actually talk here, it is a pleasure for me to join this forbidden love. Ban on assault weapons. Joe, that’s all I have to do is throw these words around. You know what those words are. 

WALSH: Again, I’ll — I’ll,  you and I will sit down, John, and we’ll have a nice interesting discussion. For me, every firearm can be considered an assault weapon. This is a no-go. If you want to get something done right now, we should focus like a  laser beam on the process before any firearm is purchased. Yesterday, President Biden spoke out about possible banning of certain handguns. These are nonstarters, John — and Fred, I’d say — if you want to get something done right now. 

BERMAN: Fred? 

GUTTENBERG: Listen, I have a list of things that I want to do, that’s — while that, I would call — on a backup wish list, even though it’s the weapon that was used to kill my daughter, an AR-15, the reality is I would rather see background checks, not just on weapons, but extended to ammunition, raising the age, repeal of PLACA, extreme risk protection orders, things that can pass and have the support of the American people right now to get done, that will save lives. Are we, as a nation, okay with AR-15s being advertised to children by companies like that which sold it in Texas? No. It is not my opinion. Maybe we could look at where the weapons are bought and sold. But, there’s so much that can be done to save lives. This is something the majority of American citizens agree with. 

BERMAN: It really does seem like if I take this, you know, concentric circles of you two guys and — you know — the Venn diagram here, there is agreement on discussing raising the age to buy AR-15-style weapons to 21, there is agreement on expanding background checks. Um — So, so, handicap it. Joe, what are your chances of this bill being passed by Congress in the next six-months? 

WALSH? Probably about 50/50. Unfortunately, it shouldn’t be lower. John, I hope that more conversations, like those Fred and me are having, will encourage responsible gun owners to join us again. 

BERMAN: Fred? 

GUTTENBERG, Joe is much more optimistic than myself. And I’ve already watched Cornyn fail multiple times in discussions with my dear friend senator Chris Murphy previously. Um, you need — you need at least ten Republican senators; you’re not getting them, unfortunately. It was a great effort. We can vote on it next week. You know what? Let the parties clearly state where they stand. 

Joe and myself will continue this conversation on the road. We plan on talking to Americans everywhere they are about why this matters, about the connection between this issue and the threat to our democracy, and simply put, if this doesn’t pass now — and, again, I’m not optimistic, for the reasons I laid out — this will be a political solution and it will be honestly, I believe, an ultimate voting issue come the next election. 

WALSH – We need to heat it up. 

BERMAN Joe Walsh, Fred Guttenberg. I am grateful for your kind words. We are grateful.