Biden senior adviser Cedric Richmond said Thursday on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” that President Biden was determined to do “something about gun violence” so Republicans who “have hid behind the Second Amendment for far too long” need to respond to public demand for gun regulations on “weapons of war.”
Richmond said, “I know President Biden’s passion about doing something about gun violence and creating sensible gun laws along with Vice President Harris, and I think the country is shifting too.”
He continued, “Republicans and NRA have hid behind the Second Amendment for far too long. When the Second Amendment was written, people were stuffing gunpowder into a musket to shoot. Now you have guns that can shoot 100 rounds in a minute, and that’s just completely different. These are weapons of war. They’re weapons of mass destruction. They have no place on the streets of America. We have a president now who will call out all of those who oppose safe neighborhoods, safe streets, and stopping the carnage on the streets of America.”
Guest-host Nicolle Wallace said, “I say this with respect, Cedric, but have you met today’s Republican Party?”
Richmond said, “I have, but I think that the people in the country are more powerful than they’ve ever been and that the demand is there.”
He added, “Public support for sensible gun regulations up in the 80s, almost at 90%. For some things like universal background checks, it’s in the 90s. I think Republicans are either going to move with the times, or the voting population will move them out.”
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