Confronted by an audience member about his armed security detail while being a gun control advocate, billionaire wannabe president Michael Bloomberg blew it when he reacted during a Town Hall meeting Monday evening on Fox News.
The unidentified audience member challenged the former New York City mayor to explain why he had armed protection when he has been pushing gun control for average citizens, a question that brought applause from the audience in Manassas, Va. The man asked, “How do you justify pushing for more gun control when you have an armed security detail that’s likely equipped with the same firearms and magazines that you seek to ban the common citizen from owning? Does your life matter more than mine or my family’s or these peoples’?”
Bloomberg’s reply was what grassroots activists might call a blooper. One man, Steve Guest, has been circulating a snippet of the incident on Twitter.
Bloomberg confronted by 2A supporter:
"How do you justify pushing for more gun control when you have an armed security detail that is likely equipped with the same firearms and magazines that you seek to ban the common citizen from owning? Does your life matter more than mine?" pic.twitter.com/kOr1zDU3Il
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) March 3, 2020
“The Second Amendment gives you the right to bear arms,” Bloomberg stated.
But rights activists counter the amendment doesn’t “give” anything to anybody. The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms from government infringement.
When Bloomberg tried to justify his personally-financed security team of retired police officers who are “well trained with firearms” by explaining he gets “40 or 50 threats every week, and some of them are real,” it didn’t resonate with members of the audience.
Bloomberg, who bankrolled the gun prohibition lobbying group Everytown for Gun Safety, insisted “nobody is gonna take your right to bear arms.”
“The Supreme Court said you can have reasonable restrictions,” he said. “The only restrictions which I’m in favor of is to prevent us from selling guns to people with psychiatric problems, criminals or people that are minors.”
Several audience members were not satisfied and began protesting loudly enough that anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum cut to a commercial break while things calmed down.
With the Super Tuesday vote unfolding, Bloomberg has been banking on his big spending in primary states to put him on the political map. With the departures of Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg from the race to offer quick endorsements of former Vice President Joe Biden, and billionaire Tom Steyer also stepping aside, the race has narrowed. It could be down to the “3 Bs” by the end of the week.
Meanwhile, ABC News is reporting passage of several new gun control laws in Virginia, a fact Commonwealth gun owners were almost certainly aware of prior to the Fox News Town Hall.
Bloomberg’s Everytown spent $2.5 million in Virginia to help flip the General Assembly to Democrat control, and the new majority immediately began crafting gun control laws.
According to the ABC story, “The backlash, in one of the nation’s most pro-gun states, could impact the 2020 election.”
ABC quoted Mitchell Tyler, co-owner of a gun store in Roanoke, who suggested Virginia gun owners are “a sleeping giant” that has been awakened.
“Gun owners are a threat to politicians at the ballot box,” Tyler observed. “That is where we’re most dangerous. Because of this groundswell in sanctuary cities and counties, I think you’ll see Virginia go red this year in the presidential election.”
If that happens, and if Trump can hold Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio, many believe he will walk away with re-election.
But the months between now and November amount to a political eternity. Much can happen.
