In the wake of the Parkland school shooting, Florida liberals pushed a gun control bill they claimed was specifically to ban AR-15s and other military-looking weapons. The legislation was lauded by the liberal media, and when the Republican-controlled legislature voted not to have a debate on the bill, they went gaga over images of crying teens. But the panel on HLN’s S.E. Cupp Unfiltered read through the bill, and on Monday, they announced that it was designed to ban even hunting weapons.
“They pitched this as an assault weapons ban. It was really targeted. And, in fact, there is like eight pages of guns that are banned in this bill, including some hunting rifles, including some shotguns, including some pistols,” Cupp, who was also an NRA member, exposed, after noting how “the left and the media” were “putting guns in their crosshairs 24/7.”
Cupp was talking to conservative radio host Ben Ferguson, who was greatly concerned about how broad the ban would have been. “The scariest part about that bill was the shotgun part, and I wrote it down because it was amazing to me. ‘All the following shotguns, copies, duplicates or altered,’” he read. According to him, the ban would be so complete that his fowl hunting shotgun could possibly be included.
“But why should we ever believe any lawmaker who says ‘we're not coming for all your guns,’” Cupp asked Senior Producer Andy Levy. “Oh. You absolutely shouldn't. But what I always love about this they say it is common sense regulation, you know,” he responded. “What that's going to do is turn a whole bunch of people into felons because, as you said, there are legitimate hunting reasons for having their rifles.”
Levy expertly pointed out that “basically regulat[ing] semi-automatic rifles out of existence” was “generally the only acceptable position in the media.”
“There are multiple guns on that list that are now, they say, I should not be able to own or should not be able to buy,” Ferguson explained further. “[If] I’m just a normal gun owner who is a hunter, I read that and I’m immediately going to go to my corner because you lied to me, you told me you were not going to take my guns.”
“And stuff like this proves them right,” Cupp exclaimed while holding up a copy of the failed Florida bill.
After Ferguson declared the Florida legislation a “bait and switch lie. And you can show it and prove it every time.” Cupp unleashed on the media for spreading lies about the bill’s intentions due to their profound ignorance about guns:
Totally. And the media isn't savvy enough because I saw a lot of people in the media when this bill was being discussed. The media isn’t gun savvy enough to know that. I talked to some reporter and anchors who hadn't read it and still went on the air and insisted this is just going after military-style assault weapons.”
“That is not true. That is not true. That was a lie. That was a lie,” Cupp repeated, possibly talking to her parent network CNN who pompously declares “facts first” at every opportunity.
The relevant portions of the transcript are below, click expand to read:
HLN
S.E. Cupp Unfiltered
February 26, 2018
9:14:48 PM EasternS.E. CUPP: Despite the left and the media putting guns in their crosshairs 24/7, the desired effect might be missed. As a matter of fact, the Florida Gun Show in Tampa reported 7,000 attendees on Saturday. A record number. That's probably not an accident. Okay, let me introduce my table for tonight. CNN political analyst and Senior Congressional Correspondent for the Washington Examiner David Drucker, CNN political commentator and conservative talk show host Ben Ferguson and Unfiltered Senior Producer Andy Levi. Ben?
BEN FERGUSON: Yes.
CUPP: So I asked you to take a look at this bill that Florida voted not to debate. They pitched this as an assault weapons ban. It was really targeted. And, in fact, there is like eight pages of guns that are banned in this bill, including some hunting rifles, including some shotguns, including some pistols.
FERGUSON: Including some things that are not even close to what they would refer to as an “assault weapon.” The scariest part about that bill was the shotgun part, and I wrote it down because it was amazing to me. “All the following shotguns, copies, duplicates or altered.”
So here is my question: If I have a shotgun that is semiautomatic which I do which is completely for hunting. It’s never used for anything else besides duck hunting and dove hunting. It is semi-automatic. Every one of the shotguns listed is semi-automatic, clearly, my gun is now a duplicate. Couldn't it be banned because it works exactly like the other guns that are in there, even though it has nothing to do but anything but exclusively hunting? The gun that I own is literally solely made for 100 percent hunting, not home defense, it’s too big it’s too long.
CUPP: This bill is so broad and when people say “we're not coming after your hunting gun.” We're not coming after your self-defense handgun.
FERGUSON: Clearly they are.
CUPP: This would make a semiautomatic rifle with a detachable magazine and a thumbhole stock. I have a gun with a thumbhole stock.
FERGUSON: Five rounds or more.
CUPP: It would make that illegal. What I don't understand is as a hunter, having a detachable magazine if you are hunting multiple properties and you are getting in and out of your car, it makes your gun safer because you are not worried about leaving a round in the chamber every time you put it in your car. People who draft this kind of legislation clearly don't think about that stuff. But why should we ever believe any lawmaker who says “we're not coming for all your guns?”
ANDY LEVY: Oh. You absolutely shouldn't. But what I always love about this they say it is common sense regulation, you know.
DAVID DRUCKER: Common sense gun safety.
LEVY: Gun safety is the new thing now instead of gun control, I noticed. But it is common sense legislation. Yeah, well if you want to basically regulate semi-automatic rifles out of existence and since that is generally the only acceptable position in the media, I will have to agree that it is common sense legislation. But you pointed out, detachable magazine and a thumbhole stock, what that's going to do is turn a whole bunch of people into felons because, as you said, there are legitimate hunting reasons for having their rifles.
(…)
FERGUSON: The majority of the guns I own are used for hunting. The majority of the guns that I own are not even remotely close to what would be considered a “high powered assault rifle.” Yet, there are multiple guns on that list that are now, they say, I should not be able to own or should not be able to buy. So, if I am a normal, average American who’s not obsessed with AR-15s and all the gadgets that go with them. I’m just a normal gun owner who is a hunter, I read that and I’m immediately going to go to my corner because you lied to me, you told me you were not going to take my guns.
CUPP: Or you will go and buy a bunch of guns and sign up to be an NRA member. This is—let me tell you the secret. This is how the NRA works. There is a Democrat in the White House, the NRA is going to tell you, “they want to take your guns.” When there is a Republican in the White House, the NRA is going to tell you, “don't relax, they still are going to come and take your guns.” And stuff like this proves them right. And every time Democrats get on this reactive Bent, it drives gun sales up through the roof, and attendance at gun shows go through the roof, and NRA memberships.
(…)
FERGUSON: But if you look at that list, that is a bait and switch lie. And you can show it and prove it every time.
CUPP: Totally. And the media isn't savvy enough because I saw a lot of people in the media when this bill was being discussed. The media isn’t gun savvy enough to know that. I talked to some reporter and anchors who hadn't read it and still went on the air and insisted this is just going after military-style assault weapons.
FERGUSON: Going after shotguns.
CUPP: That is not true. That is not true. That was a lie. That was a lie.
FERGUSON: That you use for hunting.
(…)
