The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms on Wednesday publicly called on CNN to question President Joe Biden about his gun control agenda during Thursday evening’s presidential debate with former President Donald Trump.
This came one day after Biden’s Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy “used his bully pulpit” to launch a gun control push after declaring “gun violence” to be a “public health crisis.” CCRKBA blasted Murthy’s anti-gun rant in a statement to the media.
Nearly three years ago, while appearing on a CNN “Townhall” program, Biden revealed he not only want to ban the sale of modern semiautomatic rifles, but also 9mm pistols.
“Since Joe Biden first acknowledged during a CNN Townhall appearance in July 2021 that he wants to ban the sale of the most popular rifles in America and commonly-owned 9mm pistols,” noted CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “it would be appropriate for CNN debate moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash to quiz the president about his gun prohibition agenda.”
The Biden-Trump debate will air on CNN Thursday night at 9 p.m. Eastern / 6 p.m. Pacific and it is expected to attract a huge viewing audience. There will be no live audience for the debate, and moderators can turn of the microphones for one or the other candidate so they may not talk over their opponent.
CCRKBA’s Gottlieb explained the rationale for calling on CNN one day before the debate. He said it will allow the network and moderators time to formulate questions about gun rights and gun control in advance of the debate.
“Joe Biden has been accused of weaponizing federal agencies against firearms dealers and gun owners,” Gottlieb stated. “The Supreme Court has affirmed three times that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms, and right now, 29 states have adopted laws allowing people to carry firearms in public without permits or licenses. Biden should be quizzed about his gun control stance on live television, where he won’t be fed talking points by his advisors.”
Biden has been at Camp David all week preparing for the debate, leading to speculation he may be taking performance-enhancing medication in order to endure the 90-minute verbal battle.
Gottlieb said the network has an obligation to ask hard questions about guns and the Second Amendment.
“If Biden wanted to restrict the First Amendment like he is trying to restrict the Second Amendment,” he said, “you can bet CNN and every other network and newspaper in the country would be justifiably lining up to demand answers.
“Rights protected by the Second Amendment are no less important than those protected by the First,” Gottlieb maintained. “The Bill of Rights is an all-or-nothing proposition which limits the power of government. It is not just a menu from which we can pick and choose those rights we agree with. A threat to one right is a threat to all rights. We’re calling on CNN to question Joe Biden vigorously and not allow him to just give lip service to the Second Amendment because everything he’s done for the past 50 years suggests he wants to turn the right to keep and bear arms into a regulated privilege.”
