Everytown Urges Democrats to Campaign More on Gun Control to Shake Soft-on-Crime Image

Mike Bloomberg-affiliated Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund is urging Democrats to campaign more on gun control as a way to shake the party’s soft-on-crime image.

Politico reports that Everytown “tested messages that explicitly linked anti-gun violence measures — including background checks on gun sales and red flag laws — with crime and public safety, including the safety of law enforcement officers” and believes a gun control message is a winner for Democrats in battleground states.

Everytown also suggests that a gun control push may help Democrats shed the soft-on-crime moniker that was tied to the party during the 2020 elections.

For example, Everytown senior advisor Charlie Kelly said, “The fear tactics that they had success with in 2020, I don’t think will work this time around. We actually are the ones that are tough on these issues, and we need to be more vocal about it.”

On September 22 the Washington Examiner noted, “Democrats see a mild boost in their crime message by focusing on gun control, though it comes nowhere near the 23-point advantage Republicans hold on crime.”

The Examiner suggests the Democrats are unable to get traction with a tough on crime message because the party’s policies are failing before Americans’ eyes: “You do not need to look far to see examples of gang members committing crimes with illegal guns after being given light prison sentences or Democrats supporting the release of criminals who shot and killed 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 and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. AWR Hawkins holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.