Cruz: It’s Easy for the Rich to Support Gun Control

Republican presidential candidate and Texas Senator Ted Cruz argued “it’s easy…for people with a whole lot of money to support gun control. Because you can live in fancy neighborhoods, you can pay taxes and have the police protect you” in an interview with PBS’ Tavis Smiley on Tuesday.

The interview began with Smiley asking Cruz about an earlier joke he made that gun control is “hitting what you aim at” according to Texans and Iowans after the shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. Cruz said that he believes the shooting in Charleston was a “horrific,” carried out by a “sick, deranged man” with a “level of evil that is difficult to comprehend.” He continued that the shooting shouldn’t be politicized, but rather should be an opportunity for unity.

Smiley then asked Cruz about his opposition to gun control, to which Cruz responded that violent criminals should be targeted, while the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens should be protected. He added, “You know, it’s easy, by the way, for people with a whole lot of money to support gun control. Because you can live in fancy neighborhoods, you can pay taxes and have the police protect you. But if you’re a single mom living in Anacostia, if you’re taking the subway late at night, if you’ve got, tragically, a crack house down the street, and you’re thinking about protecting your kids, 2nd Amendment rights are something real and personal about the right to keep your family safe.”

(h/t The Right Scoop)

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett