After actor Vince Vaughn declared himself to be an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment in a recent interview with British GQ, only Tuesday’s NBC Today took notice of the celebrity’s conservative stance – and only for a brief 30 seconds. ABC and CBS completely ignored the story. Even ABC’s Good Morning America, usually obsessed with pop culture, skipped the news.
During Today’s “Pop Start” segment in the 8 a.m. ET hour, co-host Carson Daly informed viewers:
Vince Vaughn opened up about his stance on gun control in the July issue of British GQ. The actor said he believes that guns should be allowed in schools. Vince said, “You think the politicians that run my country and your country don't have guns in the schools their kids go to? They do. And we should be allowed the same rights.” He went on to saying, “Banning guns is like banning forks in an attempt to stop making people fat,” his words, and that it won't prevent criminals.
Earlier on the broadcast, fellow co-host Savannah Guthrie teased the item: “Coming up, Vince Vaughn's provocative take on guns in school. Why he says banning guns is like banning forks.”
In part, Vaughn told GQ:
I support people having a gun in public full stop, not just in your home. We don't have the right to bear arms because of burglars; we have the right to bear arms to resist the supreme power of a corrupt and abusive government. It's not about duck hunting; it's about the ability of the individual. It's the same reason we have freedom of speech.
In the wake of the 2012 Newtown school shooting, network coverage slanted 8 to 1 against gun rights.
