Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
On Thursday morning, CNN again gave Democrat Senator Chris Murphy an unchallenged platform to spread misinformation and push new gun laws that have nothing to do with the circumstances of the event being discussed.
Reacting to the shooting at Michigan State University, CNN This Morning co-host Poppy Harlow recalled a visit her guest once made to the same university to advocate new gun laws, and then brought up his push for more background checks: "Could you speak about what you're re-introducing again -- the background check expansion act -- and if you think, could it have saved these three students' lives?"
The Democrat Senator did not answer the question of whether more background checks might have prevented the killings as he spent his response falsely claiming background checks are currently not needed on "commercial sales" of firearms at gun shows or in online sales. In fact, federal law requires that anyone selling guns for profit to conduct a background check under all circumstances.
After lamenting that it "pains me that children have to spend their time trying to convince adults to just do the right thing," meaning that "there's something deeply wrong about this country," he went to recite the typical gun-related misinformation promoted by the left:
What we're introducing today is a measure that is wildly popular in this country. It's a requirement that every commercial sale have a background check attached to it. If you want to buy a gun, you should have to prove that you're not a criminal, that you're not seriously mentally ill. The problem is many states have chosen not to apply background checks to internet sales and sales at gun shows. That means that criminals know how to buy guns without being detected as a criminal.
Even though it is already against the law for anyone to sell firearms across state lines without doing a background check, Senator Murphy argued that more background checks would prevent guns in red states from being used to commit crimes in blue states:
All the crime guns that get used in places like New York and Connecticut -- the majority of crime guns -- are bought in states that don't apply universal background checks. So the quickest way to make our country safer -- the quickest way to stop a lot of this gun crime in our cities is to have a universal background checks requirement. That's what we're reintroducing today. It's supported by 90 percent of the American public.
His claim that 90 percent of Americans support "universal background checks" -- meaning that private buyers would have to do a background check to sell someone a used gun -- has been proven false years ago.
After Harlow followed up by asking him if he could get enough Republican support to pass his proposals this time after failing in the past, the Connecticut Democrat went on to the tired talking point of blaming the NRA as the CNN host did not challenge any of his claims.
This episode of CNN This Morning was sponsored in part by Verizon. Their contact information is linked.
Transcript follows:
CNN This Morning
February 16, 2023
8:10 a.m. Eastern
POPPY HARLOW: Let's show people this picture. It's last year -- you went to MSU -- you spoke to students and you've tweeted about gun tragedy after gun tragedy after gun tragedy. Look at Michigan, right? Kalamazoo, Oxford, now MSU. Could you speak about what you're re-introducing again -- the background check expansion act -- and if you think, could it have saved these three students' lives?
SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): I was proud to, you know, be at Michigan State last year. You know, part of my work is trying to help build a national anti-gun violence movement that will make our kids safer, and I was there in part to thank a small group of Michigan State students that were starting a chapter of an anti-gun violence organization, but it also pains me that children have to spend their time trying to convince adults to just do the right thing. The fact that my 14-year-old has to talk to his friends to see how they can organize to make sure that their schools are safe, it just says that there's something deeply wrong about this country.
What we're introducing today is a measure that is wildly popular in this country. It's a requirement that every commercial sale have a background check attached to it. If you want to buy a gun, you should have to prove that you're not a criminal, that you're not seriously mentally ill. The problem is many states have chosen not to apply background checks to internet sales and sales at gun shows. That means that criminals know how to buy guns without being detected as a criminal.
All the crime guns that get used in places like New York and Connecticut -- the majority of crime guns -- are bought in states that don't apply universal background checks. So the quickest way to make our country safer -- the quickest way to stop a lot of this gun crime in our cities is to have a universal background checks requirement. That's what we're reintroducing today. It's supported by 90 percent of the American public.
HARLOW: And you say "reintroducing" because you've introduced this multiple times before, including when Democrats had control of both chambers of Congress. And I know you've got Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick on the side -- on your side, right -- introducing a companion legislation. I just wonder, if you couldn't get it through then when Democrats had more control, how do you get it through now?
SENATOR MURPHY: I think it's a good point. Right now, we just don't have Republicans at the numbers we need to pass something like this -- which is wild, I mean -- 90 percent of Americans think everybody should get a background check before they buy a gun. Why aren't Republicans supporting this? And, you know, it's just a legacy of NRA power or gun lobby power that is being eroded but is not completely gone.