ABC Plays Up Bloomberg's Call for More Gun Control, But Admits It Won't Happen

Good Morning America Sunday co-host Bianna Golodryga played up calls by liberal Mayor Michael Bloomberg for more gun control in the wake of Friday's mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado. This occurred even as George Stephanopoulos conceded that no new gun control legislation would be passed.

Golodryga touted, "One person who is very outspoken about it, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that no other developed country in the world has this issue that we do." Stephanopoulos parroted, "That's exactly right." This segment occurred just two days after Stephanopoulos and Brian Ross smeared the Tea Party as possibly being connected to the mass killing.

Stephanopoulos acknowledged the reality of the situation regarding gun control, describing the killer, James Holmes, as someone who "snapped." He added, "Nothing in his background would have prevented him getting the guns that he sought."

The host pointed out, "...Even after all these tragedies in the last decade or so, we have seen support for gun control restrictions has actually declined in the United States."    

ABC's Ross ultimately apologized for incorrectly suggesting the shooter could be a Tea Party member.

Stephanopoulos introduced Ross on Friday to slime the Tea Party: "You've been looking- investigating the background of Jim Holmes here. You've found something that might be significant."

Ross then recklessly speculated, "There is a Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado page on the Colorado Tea Party site as well. Talking about him joining the Tea Party last year. Now, we don't know if this the same Jim Holmes."

Unlike Ross, Stephanopoulos hasn't addressed the false claims.

A transcript of the July 22 segment can be found below:

8:13

BIANNA GOLODRYGA: And as we said, President Obama is heading to Aurora today. Both the President and the Republican Mitt Romney basically stopped campaigning after the massacre. But the question remains, what impact will this event- and the revived debate over gun control- have on this race? For more on this, let's go to ABC's George Stephanopoulos, co-host of GMA and This Week. Great to see you, George. So, this massacre put politics on hold, but how long can that last?            

ABC GRAPHIC: President to Aurora Today: Will Gun Issue Heat Up?

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Probably not much longer. You saw the President as you said, he's going to Aurora today, but then he's going to move on and continue with the campaign swing to the west coast. He's going to go to Nevada. He's going to go to Washington State. So, he'll begin to campaign again, by tomorrow at the latest. And then at the same time, Mitt Romney who as you say, suspended, basically, campaigning on Friday, is planning a major overseas trip. He's going to Israel. He's going to Poland. He's going to Great Britain starting on Wednesday, and that's going to continue as well. So, I think we'll gradually get back to full reengagement on this campaign.

GOLODRYGA: And both the President and Mitt Romney spoke out after this massacre on Friday. But neither one of them addressed the issue of gun control. It's something that comes up every couple of years when we have a massacre like we've seen. Is this going to move anything? Is this going to change at all, especially during an election year?

STEPHANOPOULOS: I doubt it. Especially as we learn more about the killer and pretty clear that this is a person who snapped. As our Pierre Thomas has pointed out, had a pretty clean background. Nothing in his background would have prevented him getting the guns that he sought. And one of the other things that we have seen, even after all these tragedies in the last decade or so, we have seen support for gun control restrictions has actually declined in the United States. Neither candidate wants to talk about it. I don't expect that to change.

GOLODRYGA: It's interesting. One person who is very outspoken about it, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that no other developed country in the world has this issue that we do.

STEPHANOPOULOS: That's exactly right.

GOLODRYGA: But a lot of people are talking about this. George, all right. Thank you so much.