Gov. Newsom: 2nd Amendment Doesn’t Protect ‘Weapons of God–mned Mass Destruction’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) spoke about the Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting Monday and claimed that the Second Amendment does not protect “weapons of God–mned mass destruction.”

Newsom’s statement was in relation to one of two guns the Garlic Festival attacker legally purchased in Nevada.

The Los Angeles Times quoted Newsom saying, “You can’t put borders up, speaking of borders, to a neighboring state where you can buy this damn stuff legally. How in the hell is that possible? I have no problem with the 2nd Amendment, you have a right to bear arms but not weapons of [god–mned] mass destruction.”

Breitbart News reported that police believe the gunman lived in Nevada for a time with family, and that is where he legally purchased two guns. One of the guns was a rifle the described as an “AK Variant,” according to LA Times, the other was a 12 gauge pump shotgun. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that firearms such as the shotgun “are permitted in California.”

Because both firearms were purchased “legally” from gun stores, the gunman would have undergone FBI background checks to acquire them.

This is important because Newsom also brought up background checks, saying, “California’s doing its part, but Jesus, these guys, the folks in the White House have been supporting the kinds of policies that roll back the work that we’re doing in states like ours to get rid of large capacity magazines, to address the issues that we’re trying to advance on background checks.”

Newsom did not mention that Gilroy Garlic Festival was a self-declared gun-free zone. In such a zone a criminal with any firearm has every advantage over the crowds of unarmed people.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News 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.