During a Thursday appearance on CBS Mornings, Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio put liberal co-hosts Gayle King and Nate Burleson in their place after the former tried to suggest he was fine with continued mass shootings, and the latter misrepresented his stance on gun laws. Of course, this was all in service of the anti-gun rights narrative.
The topic of guns in America was sprung on Rubio as he was there speaking about the Chinese spy balloon and “objects” breaching American airspace. Near the end of the hostile encounter, King hinted that Rubio might not be tired of seeing mass shootings and only gave him 30 seconds to respond:
Senator Rubio, aren't you tired of this story, too? In less than 30 seconds. It's clear what we have on the books now isn't working. Aren't you tired of these stories, as we all are?
He immediately shot back; calling out “the reasons why it's not working is because we don't enforce these laws” and pointed to the Michigan State University shooter’s 2019 felony gun charge was dropped by a progressive prosecutor for a less one, allowing him to still have access to buying a gun.
“This individual in the latest shooting actually had gun charges in the past. So, that's the first point I would make. The second is that the leading cause of gun death in America after suicide is street violence where these guns are sold on the black market,” Rubio pushed back also noting back market guns.
The Senator was ambushed with the gun topic by Burleson, who pushed the deceptive anti-gun rights narrative that there had been “been more mass shootings than days of the year. 71 to be exact.” He also falsely claims mass shooting only happened in America.
Rubio responded by noting that “mass murder [was] really the core issue” and that “guns are the instrument they use in a lot of these murders.” He then put a spotlight on the criminal profile of mass shooters and the traits they share, most notably their young age and mental illness:
There's a lot of science and study out there written about it. There are some key indicators of what leads someone to do that. I mean, they're invariably young males, oftentimes have shown signs well this advance with the exception of the shooting in Las Vegas. Every single one was someone who was telegraphing that they were headed in a bad direction – The ability to intervene before they take action is critical here.
But Burleson wasn’t having any of it. He dismissed the mental health side of the issue and tried to smear Rubio by suggesting he had gone back on trying to stop gun violence after the Parkland shooting in his state:
But after the shooting at Parkland High School five years ago, you showed willingness to support stricter gun legislation. But then voted against it – a gun reform bill, this past summer. So, have your stance changed on how you look at restricting gun laws?
“Well, that's not an accurate description of what I voted against. What I voted against was a bill that didn't protect people's fundamental rights,” Rubio clapped back.
Going into the details Burleson tried to brush over in order to deceive CBS viewers, Rubio explained that the law Democrats wanted to pass allowed “a neighbor, a co-worker, anyone really to go down to a courthouse because they have a personal beef and give you a hard time about your ownership of a gun.”
“And so, I'm not in favor of a law that does that,” he continued to explain what he was for. The Senator said he was “in favor of one that allows family members to go to law enforcement” for help with a relative in crisis. “I continue to support that. I've offered that. I’ve filed bills to do that that are bipartisan. They just chose to go in a different direction.”
It was at that point King was forced to step in with her ridiculous question and 30-second answer window.
CBS’s anti-gun rights narrative was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Acura and Ashley. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Mornings
February 16, 2023
9:20:13 a.m. Eastern(…)
NATE BURLESON: Senator, I want to get your thoughts on a problem that seems to be uniquely American, and we're talking about mass shootings. In the recent week we've had, El Paso and also Michigan state. There have been more mass shootings than days of the year. 71 to be exact. Why do you think this is a U.S. problem?
SEN. MARCO RUBIO: Well, the problem is really mass murder. And the guns are the instrument they use in a lot of these murders. Mass murder is really the core issue. Why do people decide I'm going to kill a bunch of people, some of whom are strangers, and that's a real fundamental challenge.
There's a lot of science and study out there written about it. There are some key indicators of what leads someone to do that. I mean, they're invariably young males, oftentimes have shown signs well this advance with the exception of the shooting in Las Vegas. Every single one was someone who was telegraphing that they were headed in a bad direction --
BURLESON: Senator --
RUBIO: The ability to intervene before they take action is critical here.
BURLESON: I understand what you're saying, and I'm not being dismissive to those with mental health issues. But after the shooting at Parkland High School five years ago, you showed willingness to support stricter gun legislation. But then voted against it – a gun reform bill, this past summer. So, have your stance changed on how you look at restricting gun laws?
RUBIO: Well, that's not an accurate description of what I voted against. What I voted against was a bill that didn't protect people's fundamental rights.
I'm in favor of red flag laws. I'm not in favor of red flag laws that allow your neighbor who has a problem with you to go down to the courthouse and have your gun taken away. I think it should be law enforcement that does it like the law is in Florida.
This law provided federal funding for laws across the - country that would allow a neighbor, a co-worker, anyone really to go down to a courthouse because they have a personal beef and give you a hard time about your ownership of a gun. And so I'm not in favor of a law that does that.
I am in favor of one that allows family members to go to law enforcement and say my relative is threatening to kill themselves, they own a gun, we can't legally take it away unless there's a court order to do so to protect them, perhaps others.
I continue to support that. I've offered that. I’ve filed bills to do that that are bipartisan. They just chose to go in a different direction.
BURLESON: Can Democrats --
GAYLE KING: Senator Rubio, aren't you tired of this story, too? In less than 30 seconds. It's clear what we have on the books now isn't working. Aren't you tired of these stories, as we all are?
RUBIO: Yeah. And one of the reasons why it's not working is because we don't enforce these laws. This individual in the latest shooting actually had gun charges in the past. So, that's the first point I would make. The second is that the leading cause of gun death in America after suicide is street violence where these guns are sold on the black market.
The fundamental question goes back to this: why are young people in America willing to murder people?
People get shot every day in parts of south Florida where I live by thugs who shot up a house. They didn't buy that at a gun show or store, they're buying it off the street and they’re killing people without any regard for human life. And that's the core issue that we're confronting.
KING: Yeah. I just know we're all sitting here frustrated, and nothing seems to change.
But we thank you, Senator, for your time. I know we'll talk again. Thank you.
RUBIO: Thank you.
