President Joe Biden doubled down on his demand for stricter gun control legislation during a speech at the White House on Wednesday.
While some critics noted factual inaccuracies in his comments, others suggested that his remarks included an implied threat of military force.
“Limited the type of people”
Fox News posted video footage of the president’s speech, which followed remarks by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“The Second Amendment from the day it was passed limited the type of people who could own a gun and the type of weapon you could own,” Biden declared.
Of course, the amendment in question does not describe any groups prohibited from owning firearms. Some early states did ban certain individuals — including slaves — from possessing weapons.
The president went on to assert that Americans have always been prohibited from owning canons, although firearms designed to use black gunpowder are generally exempted from most federal restrictions.
“The point is that there has always been the ability to limit — rationally limit the type of weapon that can be owned and who can own it,” the president declared.
“Maybe some nuclear weapons”
Biden further expressed his disagreement with a popular quote attributed to Thomas Jefferson.
“Those who say the blood of patriots, you know, and all the stuff about how we’re going to have to move against the government,” he rambled. “If you think you need to have weapons to take on the government, you need F-15s and maybe some nuclear weapons.”
The remark drew criticism on social media, with some users pointing out that it undermines the Democratic Party’s narrative that rioters on Capitol Hill earlier this year nearly staged a successful insurrection.
Former NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch, for example, tweeted: “Wait, so a guy dressed like a Burning Man reject in a buffalo head and his motley crew of Red Dawn LARPers almost overthrew the entire government but you can’t own a semi-auto because the mighty government will nuke you into next week?”
Conservative author Michael Malice echoed her sentiment, writing that “five minutes ago the government was almost overthrown by a bunch of unarmed dudes led by a viking hat” and insisting that “the escalating speed of social media makes it literally impossible for them to maintain a coherent narrative amidst shifting conditions.”
The post Biden draws criticism with latest remarks advocating for stricter gun laws first appeared on Conservative Institute.
No comments: