House of Cards star Michael Kelly says one area of political agreement can be found by admitting that “AR-15s are bad machines” and “we don’t need them in this country.”
Kelly told Variety that while he’s not ready to quit acting to pursue a political career, he’d love to support a third party candidate who could persuade Republicans and Democrats to vote for gun control.
“I’m not saying I want to do it, but found someone like that who had a personality, who could speak to people honestly and openly, and hear them all, and runs as an independent. Then they get to put bills forth and the Republicans and Democrats don’t have to vote their party line,” Kelly said. “I can say, or that person can say, ‘Vote from your heart on this issue.’
“We can all agree that AR-15s are bad machines and we don’t need them in this country. So just eliminate that,” Kelly explained, suggesting ridding America of the rifle as an example of the common ground both parties could rally around.
Kelly then summarized a conversation he had with gun control proponent Michael Bloomberg at a White House Correspondents’ Dinner after party:
I said, “Sir, would you run?” He said, “Why?” I said, “Because I think you’d make a great President, and I think you would be fiscally what a lot of people on the right want, and socially what a lot of people on the left want, and you could run as a true independent and pull the two sides together.” He said, “I think I’d be the first person to get one vote.” I was like, “No, you can do it.” I was like, “I’ll be your staffer.”
Ironically, AR-15s are not the guns most often used in high profile attacks. On April 3, 2018, Breitbart News reported that in 25 of the recent high profile firearm-based attacks, handguns were used 17 times, an AR-style rifle eight times, a shotgun four times, and an AK-47 once.
Elsewhere, Kelly suggested that President Donald Trump’s campaign mantra is “offensive” and only appeals to old white men nostalgic for 1950’s-era America.
“The youth proved with the marches after the shooting in Florida, the youth of this country I truly believe is going to save us,” the Emmy nominated actor said. “The old mentality of that whole ‘Make America Great Again’ thing, that was offensive to me. This is the greatest country in the world, and to say we’re going to make it great again, is what you’re saying, ‘Make the 1950s great again?’ Because that wasn’t great for all of us.”
Kelly, who has spent five years playing right-hand man Doug Stamper to Kevin Spacey’s Francis Underwood on the Netflix political drama, is back filming the six and final season of the award-winning after production was suspended after Spacey was accused by multiple men of sexual misconduct and assault.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.
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