Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
On July 4th afternoon, in the immediate aftermath of the shooting attack on a Highland Park, Illinois, parade, CNN and MSNBC both gave an unchallenged forum to Congressman Brad Schneider to call for new gun laws that turned out to be not even relevant to the attack.
Appearing on MSNBC at 1:52 p.m. Eastern, the Illinois Democrat admitted he did not have details on how the gun was obtained as he called for "universal background checks" and a ban on "trafficking" of guns "across state lines." After noting the recently passed gun law, he added:
But I think there is far more to do to make our communities safe, whether it's universal background checks, making it illegal to traffic guns across state lines. Let me be clear -- I don't know anything about the circumstances of the shooter today in Highland Park, but I do know that more than 90 percent of our country supports the idea of universal background checks so people who shouldn't have guns don't have guns -- not denying the right of those who are law-abiding citizens. There's more we can do, and we need to find a way to come together across the aisle and work together to make our communities and our kids safer.
Fill-in host Steven Romo did not challenge any of his Democrat guest's premise as he responded.
Less than 40 minutes later, appearing on CNN with host Victor Blackwell, Congressman Schneider made a similar proclamation:
...Congress needs to take action, whether it's universal -- things 90 percent of the country support, universal background checks, making trafficking guns across state lines illegal -- straightforward things we can do. We can respect the 2nd Amendment but also keep our kids, our schools, our theaters and communities safer -- we need to act, and we need to act soon.
Blackwell similarly did not challenge his guest's commentary. It was not mentioned that it is already a violation of federal law for anyone to transfer a gun to a resident of another state without doing a background check, or that the claim that 90 percent of Americans support "universal background checks" has been discredited.
It has since turned out that the gunman reportedly acquired his weapon legally. Illinois notably already has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.
This misleading commentary was sponsored in part by AT&T on MSNBC and by Carvana on CNN.
Transcripts follow:
MSNBC Reports
July 4, 2022
1:52 p.m.
STEVEN ROMO, FILL-IN HOST: And, Congressman, you mentioned this was one of, I think, five parades you said you're going to today. I'm sure, no doubt, those are canceled, and, as this one, of course, is now canceled, where do you see things moving forward?
CONGRESSMAN BRAD SCHNEIDER (D-IL): You're right. The rest of the day around that area has all been canceled. Every community is now in fear that anytime you have a public gathering that someone is going to interrupt that public gathering and end in tragedy. My hope is that, out of these tragedies -- it's just over a week now that the House and Senate passed a bipartisan Safer Communities Act. That was a step forward. But I think there is far more to do to make our communities safe, whether it's universal background checks, making it illegal to traffic guns across state lines.
Let me be clear -- I don't know anything about the circumstances of the shooter today in Highland Park, but I do know that more than 90 percent of our country supports the idea of universal background checks so people who shouldn't have guns don't have guns -- not denying the right of those who are law-abiding citizens. There's more we can do, and we need to find a way to come together across the aisle and work together to make our communities and our kids safer.
(...)
CNN Newsroom
July 4, 2022
2:29 p.m.
CONGRESSMAN BRAD SCHNEIDER (D-IL): And, like so many other communities around the nation who are suffering from gun violence, we need help, and Congress needs to take action, whether it's universal -- things 90 percent of the country support, universal background checks, making trafficking guns across state lines illegal -- straightforward things we can do. We can respect the 2nd Amendment but also keep our kids, our schools, our theaters and communities safer -- we need to act, and we need to act soon.
VICTOR BLACKWELL: Congressman, there is no community where one would expect that this would happen, but the community you describe -- Highland Park -- why would someone target this community -- this parade?